Pembrokeshire: Newgale community 'in shock' after car crashed into campsite

August 14, 2023

A community is "in shock" after a car crashed into a campsite at the weekend - as locals question "how on earth was nobody killed?".

The vehicle ploughed into a number of people and a tent where a baby was sleeping, at the site in Newgale, Pembrokeshire, on the southwest Wales coast around 10.30pm on Saturday night.

Police say the car involved, a blue Ford Fiesta, contained "a number of occupants".

Nine people, including passengers in the car, were injured in the crash. Three people remain in hospital, including two who are in a serious condition.

No arrests have been made and Dyfed-Powys Police have asked for speculation to be "minimised" as they appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.

Clare Harris, who runs the campsite with her husband Mike, said: "The car was speeding down the hill, realised it needed to slow down and tried to brake.

"It flipped and rolled several times, and crashed into the tent. There was a young child, a baby, in the tent at the time, thankfully they are okay."

Mr Harris said the car was going "at least three times the speed limit" when it "had to brake and lost control".

"Everybody was shocked," county councillor Peter Morgan told Sky News.

"But on the other hand, they're relieved when more and more of the story is coming out that nobody was killed.

"I've been talking to people this morning who were on the scene on Saturday night and they were saying 'how on earth was nobody killed?' They don't know. It's unbelievable."

According to Councillor Morgan, the car was "absolutely flattened" after the crash.

"I think there were six people that were travelling in the car," he said.

"They can't believe that somebody walked away from it… I think it rolled over three times."

He said the two people in a serious condition have suffered "life-changing injuries".

"They tell me that everyone was screaming. It was like a war zone. It was terrible," he added.

Levi Davies, 24, from the Gwent area, who was staying on the campsite when the crash happened, said there was a "lot of noise, a lot of screaming and shouting".

'Everyone's grateful'

Community councillor Nick Neumann owns a campsite in nearby Roch.

He told Sky News the incident could have been "so much worse".

"I think everybody's grateful that it wasn't. It's a small community and these events are rare. It's taken people by shock," he said.

"In terms of my position on the community council, the speed on the road on the A487 that we have going through the villages here within our community, it's something we're always trying to work with Pembrokeshire County Council and Dyfed-Powys Police to do more.

"We've got a couple of villages, particularly Roch and Newgale and also Nolton Haven where we have got speeding issues and we are trying to work with those statutory bodies to try and do more."

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Dyfed-Powys Police said the car is believed to have travelled from the direction of Roch toward the city of St Davids when it "lost control and veered off the road".

The road was closed for several hours but was reopened at around 7.45am on Sunday.

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