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Royal Mail lorry hits couple's 'sold' Gosport house | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A couple in Gosport who had agreed the sale of their house hope their buyer can wait for it to be repaired after a Royal Mail lorry ploughed into it. | |
Len and Anne Wiles' house in Wheatsheaf Mews, off Brockhurst Road was struck by the 7.5 tonne lorry while they were sleeping just after 06:00 GMT. | |
Mr Wiles said: "I'm hoping our buyer can hang on until the house is repaired - it's a beautiful house." | |
The two bedroom property is due to be assessed for structural damage. | |
'Gaping hole' | |
Mrs Wiles said: "The house is sold and we put an offer on another property yesterday which was accepted. | |
"We don't know what's going to happen now, but at least we're all alive." | |
The couple said they were dozing in bed "and the next thing all hell broke loose." | |
Mr Wiles said: "Ten minutes earlier and I would have been on the stairs and either under the lorry or not here at all." | |
The couple said their first thoughts were for the lorry driver and if he was hurt. | |
"We were trapped in our bedroom as there was a gaping hole where the stairs were," Mrs Wiles said. | |
The couple said police and the fire service had told them the lorry was the only thing holding the house up. | |
Mrs Wiles added: "They are worried that when they take the lorry out of the wall it might all collapse." | |
'Expecting a parcel?' | |
The couple's neighbours have also had to leave their homes which suffered structural damage during the impact. | |
Following the crash firefighters had to remove a window from the second floor to rescue the couple who are in their 60s. | |
Mr Wiles said: "The fireman poked his head through the window and said, 'were you expecting a parcel?'" | |
The lorry driver was taken to hospital as a precaution. The couple were treated at the scene for shock by ambulance crews. | The lorry driver was taken to hospital as a precaution. The couple were treated at the scene for shock by ambulance crews. |
In a statement Royal Mail said: "We are carrying out an internal investigation into the circumstances and we are thankful that no-one was injured as a result of this accident." | |
The couple said they had yet to hear from Royal Mail. | |
The A32 Brockhurst Road in Gosport has been closed in both directions between Eastbourne Avenue and Elson Road. | The A32 Brockhurst Road in Gosport has been closed in both directions between Eastbourne Avenue and Elson Road. |