A van has wiped out a lamp post and crashed into a wall in Ryde this morning (Friday) as a result of a suspected handbrake failure.
The incident occurred on Upton Road near the junction with Pitt Street at around 08:30 and has seen a Citroen Relay van knock over a street light before colliding with a stone wall.
Island Echo understands the vehicle was parked up by the Nisa Local store near St Michael’s Avenue when the handbrake failed causing the van to gain forward momentum as it careered down the hill coming to rest once it had collided with the pristine-looking stonework.
The lamp post has been ripped from the pavement and the wall is severely damaged with bricks all over the carriageway.
No one has been injured in the incident which occurred just as children headed to school.
Island Echo also understands that the driver of the vehicle was in the process of dropping off copies of a local weekly newspaper in the area. As a result they are expected to hit the shelves a little later this morning.
A failure to apply it in the first instance perhaps?
Should always leave your vehicle in gear , as well as applying handbrake !!!!!.
At least if h/brake fails it won’t roll ..
Totally agree with you ,well said
Pity it wasn’t ‘in-gear’ as well, on a slope. Unless of course the engine was still running which would be illegal anyway if there was no-one in the driving seat.
It was likely the latter as he was just dropping off some papers.
I’ve got a Renault traffic, even if left in gear on a steep hill it will roll forward. Common problem on many vans now. In gear or not
Bloody van drivers, should know never reply on just the hand brake, always leave it in gear..
I expect the van driver was on drugs like most of them…
You really dont like drug users do you lol
Shows the driver has no idea how to drive. Always leave vehicle in gear as well as applying the hand brake.
Good job there was nobody walking up the pavement, it must have got quite a lick on if it rolled all the way from the shop down to Pitt St.
This is why when parking on a downhill slope you turn the wheels into the kerb.
And put it in reverse gear if facing down hill
I’ve got the Peugeot version of this type van, and the hand brake, if it is the same, and most parts between the two vans are, is absolute crap. Mine released itself twice in the last couple of weeks, luckily, I was sat in it the time and was able to stop it. It had recently passed MOT with no advisories too. It must be a design fault some where to do with the locking mechanism that is supposed to latch it on. Have a look at the release button on the end of the handbrake lever, to see if it comes all the way out when the handbrake is applied,if not the brake won’t be fully latched. Spray some WD down the side of the button and keep on pressing it in and out, this seems to have solved the problem on mine and stops it sticking up with dirt