A HAPLESS driver crashed his car into a road safety campaigner’s garden wall — and tried to get his wrecked vehicle towed before police arrived.

The smash happened at about 8.30pm last night in Frederick Street when the driver of a black Ford Fiesta careered off the road and across a grass verge before knocking down the garden wall of John Williams, who lives in the adjoining Weavers Green.

Mr Williams has previously campaigned for traffic calming measures to be installed in Frederick Street after a catalogue of incidents including the death of motorcyclist Michael Mok, who was killed after losing control of his motorbike in July last year.

Mr Williams said: “I didn’t actually hear anything because I was watching the football — but when I came to the window I was shocked to see that the whole wall had been destroyed.

“Myself or my partner could easily have been in the garden at the time and we would undoubtedly have been killed.”

The driver of the car fled the scene, but then attempted to have the damaged vehicle towed away by a roadside assistance firm.

Mr Williams said: “He must have called them because a breakdown wagon turned up wanting to tow it away — but thankfully the police were here and told them they weren’t needed.”

Police investigating the incident say they have now identified the owner of the vehicle and are planning to speak with them.

Last year Mr Williams collected the signatures of 300 local people, calling for measures to be installed to stop speeding on the road.

Mr Williams added: “People around here are scared to walk down the street because of these cars speeding round the bend — it shouldn’t take for someone to be killed before something is done.”

Bolton Council has rejected the petition due to funding issues, but Farnworth councillor Jean Gillies, who has campaigned with local residents on the issue, confirmed that the road is set to become a 20 mile per hour zone.

She added: “I have been calling for action in Frederick Street for about two years because residents are scared to cross the road.

“The council are going to make it a 20 mph limit with new signs and we have to give that a try — although this latest incident makes me think we need to look at it again.

“Mr Williams saw this coming and I handed in his petition — it is awful that this has now happened to him.”