Tennis row leads to pub car park crash (From Your Local Guardian)

Tennis row leads to Sutton pub car park crash

1:15pm Monday 9th July 2012 in Top Stories By Matt Watts

This picture shows the aftermath of a row between a couple about the Wimbledon tennis final which ended up with their car crashing over a car park wall.

The couple, understood to be in their late sixties, were parking at the Belmont pub, Sutton, so the husband could watch Andy Murray's match against Roger Federer.

But when his wife objected, saying she would prefer to watch it at home, he took his anger out on the accelerator of the Ford Ka.

Thinking the car was in reverse, he slammed down the pedal, but with the car still in first gear, it launched forward.

The car clipped a kerb, before jumping two feet into the air and over the wall of the car park.

It hit the ground of the three-foot-high wall on the other side.

Police and the London Fire Brigade were called but the couple were helped from the car unscathed.

Neil Durban, the pub's manager, said: "I'm not sure if you asked a stunt driver he would be able to do it. It was unbelievable that it happened like it did.

"It's just good that neither of them was hurt."

The wall was suprisingly undamaged, with only the front left tyre of the car suffering any damage.

The vehicle was eventually towed away.

The incident happened at about 2.15pm.

Mr Durban said: "They didn't get to watch the match in the pub, but I think he was hoping to still catch some of it at home."

A police spokesman said: “Police were called by LAS at 2.14pm yesterday (Sunday) to reports of a car colliding with a brick wall in the forecourt parking area to the Belmont pub.

“Neither of the two elderly people with the car were injured or taken to hospital. There were no arrests.”