Residents' concerns after Hull City car crashes

Residents near Hull City's training ground say they are concerned about safety after two players overturned their cars on the same street within weeks of each other.

Both players escaped without injury following the crashes near the club's training ground on Mill House Woods Lane in Cottingham, East Yorkshire.

Carol White, who lives on the narrow street, said: "Maybe the Football Association ought to pay to do some training with them about being considerate drivers."

Hull City has not responded to requests for a comment.

Winger Sorba Thomas was involved in the first incident on 11 September, when his Land Rover overturned and ended up on its roof.

Less than three weeks later, on 1 October, the BBC understands midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath was driving a black Mercedes when it crashed on the same lane, ending up on its side.

At the time of both incidents the club said it was aware of images circulating online and confirmed no one was hurt.

Speaking to the BBC ahead of the club's match at home to Everton on Sunday 11 October, head coach Sergej Jakirovic confirmed Hull City was "speaking to the council" about the road.

He said they were "all [working] together to solve this problem", and said the "very narrow" carriageway and parked cars made the road difficult to navigate in "big cars".

"We have to be very careful now in the future," Jakirovic added.

Residents said they had concerns about the way some players drove along the narrow lane, including their speed and vehicles mounting the pavement.

White said: "You can hear when a vehicle is going too fast, even if you are not watching you can hear them.

"The dustbin lorries, removal companies, all of that manage, but they're going slow and careful and considerately, it's just the ones who aren't, and sadly, it's been footballers recently.''

Steven Moore said the road was "too narrow" and "too busy".

He said he had been concerned after hearing about the crashes because of the possible risk to pedestrians.

"If there had been somebody on the pavement when the car went over it's just going to take them out, it's going to wipe them out completely and it's right on the time when the kids are going to school," he said.

He also stressed that not all residents' concerns were solely about footballers.

"They blame the footballers but the delivery vans, they come down here and they must be doing at least 50 miles an hour, half on the road, half on the pavement," he added.

Cottingham North councillor Phillip Redshaw said the timing of the second crash was particularly concerning.

"The issue with the second accident was that five minutes before and five minutes after there were parents with children walking the footpath and I dread to think what might have happened if the timing had been different."

Redshaw said he was waiting for the official police report and had asked the council to consider a safety review of the road.

He said he believed a 20mph limit was needed and more signage could also be considered.

He also said he contacted Hull City before each season asking the club to brief new players about driving with "due care and attention" along the road.

He added: "I'm not sure one or two of them got the message."

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