Car smashes into house in latest accident at hot spot

Martin Diver's Saab 95 Aero was a write-off

It is thought a Volkswagen Golf crashed into a vehicle parked close to the terraced house in Lower Granton Road and sent it careering against the front wall.

Family members sitting on a sofa inside leapt in terror following the impact on the street where 107 accidents have been reported since 1999.

The latest crash, which happened at around 8.30pm on Thursday, has prompted an emergency motion to the council demanding urgent changes to the road.

Council chiefs have drawn up plans to redesign the road, but are currently in arbitration with local landowner Forth Ports over up to 1 million previously pledged to pay for work.

The car which was pushed into the house belonged to neighbour Martin Diver, 29, an IT systems engineer, who lives in adjoining Wardie Square.

He said: "I was sitting in the living room when I heard an almighty bang. I thought at first that a bomb had gone off.

"I went out and saw my car had been slammed against the wall of a neighbour's house. I went to check on the driver of the Golf and found that he was all right. He was confused, but amazingly he wasn't injured apart from a scratch on his head.

"My Saab 95 Aero is built like a tank and it was moved 30 feet by the impact. It cost me 5000 and it's a complete write-off."

Last year, the council completed the design of a new road junction at Lower Granton Road, with 270,000 spent on the project so far. The scheme was put out to tender and a contractor was selected, but Forth Ports refused to pay up cash originally promised for the scheme. After ruling out legal action against Forth Ports, council chiefs are now in arbitration with the company.

David Jamieson, from the Wardie Bay Residents Association, said it was "scandalous" that safety had not been improved.

Local Tory councillor Allan Jackson put forward an emergency motion to the council's transport committee calling for action. He said: "We've reached the point where prevarication is no longer an option. It was only a fluke that no one was killed on Thursday."

A council spokesman said: "We will look at what low cost measures can be achieved in the short term and will report back to committee regarding the longer term solution."

A Forth Ports spokesman said: "Forth Ports is currently in liaison with the City of Edinburgh Council and it would be inappropriate for us to comment."

A police spokeswoman said a 24-year-old man had been arrested and charged with careless driving following an incident in Lower Granton Road.