A DRIVER who had to be freed from his car by firefighters after crashing into a Dalry farm is the latest victim of a series of accidents thought to be caused by poor road surfacing on the B714.

James Hair, of Yonder House Farm, says that he is “fed up” complaining to North Ayrshire Council about the state of the road outside his property and he reckons it’s only a matter of time before someone is killed.

Saltcoats motorist, Stewart McGreavy, had a lucky escape when he lost control of his car on his way home from work at Wilsons Auctions in Dalry on Wednesday. July 6. His Peugeot 407 was sent flying into the air and did a triple somersault before landing upside down in Farmer Hair’s field.

Stewart told the Herald: “My car came off the road and flipped over in the air three times and ended up upside down. I was coming round the bend and I went to straighten up and there was just nothing, no steering. I lost control of the car. The police said that I was very lucky. I don’t remember much. I came to and I remember the fire brigade came down and got me out.”

Paramedics attended to Stewart at the scene and took him to hospital as a precaution. Remarkably, the lucky driver didn’t suffer any serious injuries.

Stewart said: “I’m fine but my car’s completely gone. The farmer was great. He came straight over and was talking to me. He called the ambulance and the police. He said he knew it wasn’t my fault – it’s the road – because he sees accidents there all the time. He said he’s constantly pulling cars out his field. He’s been complaining about the road to the council for years but nothing is ever done and he thinks it’s only a matter of time before there’s a fatality.”

Stewart added: “I know umpteen people who have had accidents on that stretch of road.”

According to North Ayrshire Council there have been 11 recorded car accidents on the stretch of road outside Yonder House Farm in five years, but Farmer Hair claims there are much more that go unreported.

He said: “There have been four in the last few weeks. In the last year I’d say there’s been about 30.

“It’s the road surface – the drivers just skid. Someone could be killed. I’ve been on to the council umpteen times about it and I can’t keep it up. I’m actually fed up with it and all the hassle it causes. It takes 10 years for a hedge to regrow. I’m always dealing with insurance companies.

“There’s a whole new road being built so hopefully that will make the problem go away but something needs to be done before then. My main concern is that someone puts a hole in the fence and all the cows get out.”

Inspector Dean Pennington, Ayrshire Roads Policing Division, said: “We are aware that there have been a number of vehicle collisions on the B714 over the past year. The majority of these incidents have involved one vehicle losing control and colliding with fences, hedgerows, or entering roadside ditches and fields.

“The B714, like many roads in Ayrshire, is a rural road linking towns and villages. Being out with built-up areas, some drivers have a tendency to increase their speed, often failing to take into account weather and road conditions, which can have an adverse effect on steering, braking and handling of a vehicle.

“Police Scotland carries out regular enforcement of speed and other road safety issues, and this road is patrolled by both local and road policing officers, using marked and unmarked cars.”

A spokesperson for North Ayrshire Council said: “We have recently checked our latest skid resistance measurements which show the road surface to be acceptable.

“Individual drivers have a responsibility to ensure that they keep to a speed that is suitable for the road conditions.”

The spokesperson added: “We are currently developing plans to improve part of this road.

“These plans will see the removal of five bends on a 1.4km stretch of the road – in the vicinity of Girthill and Yonderhouses farms.

“We anticipate a tender being issued in August.”