Calls for Chepstow bypass after car crashes through wall

Early on Monday, there was a collision between a red Nissan coming down the hill in the direction of Chepstow, and a second car, heading in the opposite direction.

The Nissan ended up suspended over the drop after smashing through the wall.

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Richard Lewis has a clear view of the incident from his house on Rockfield Road.

“It was about 6.25-6.30am [Monday] morning,” he said. “It was quite a crash. I thought part of a house had fallen down.

“I went looking around every room. It was only when I went to make a cup of tea that I saw it out the kitchen window.

“Very quickly there was people milling around. There was no ambulance so it looked like no-one was injured. The police were on the scene within minutes.”

A car came off the road and crashed through the wall on the A48 Mount Pleasant on Monday. Picture: Richard Lewis

Mr Lewis said the A48 Mount Pleasant – where the crash took place – was a “dodgy corner”.

“It’s such a tight road,” he said. “I never even attempt to go across that junction.”

Grace Evans lives in the house next door to where the crash took place. She didn’t witness the crash, but woke up to find the remains of the broken wall spilling down the hillside.

“It happened before we got up. We didn’t know it had happened,” she said. “I looked out the landing window at about 7.50am and our gate was open. We like to have the gate shut. I thought because of the football a few drunk people had opened it.

The smashed wall on the A48 into Chepstow.

“It was only then I saw a police car.

“George, my partner, said ‘look out the window – the wall has gone’.

“The car had gone by the time we got up.”

Ms Evans said they had had a number of issues with crashes on that corner since moving in in 1986.

“We’ve had the gate smashed. This is the fourth time now we’ve had someone come through the wall,” she said.

A spokesman for Gwent Police said: “We received a report of a road traffic collision involving two cars in Steep Street, Chepstow at around 6.25am on Monday, July 12.

“Officers have attended to assist with traffic management and no injuries were reported.”

The smashed wall in Chepstow the day after the crash.

When asked what was needed to reduce the number of incidents on the road, Ms Grace said: “A bypass is the only thing we need.

“At the moment, the town is chaos because they have closed the arch off. If anything happens in Chepstow it’s blocked.”

Mr Lewis agreed.

“The only thing everyone will be talking about is the Chepstow bypass,” he said. “It is so needed.

“There are lots of new developments and the population in the town is increasing day-by-day, but there’s nothing on the road systems.

“It’s got to be our number one priority.”