Crash followed gritting request
The electrical goods salesman was travelling to work in Leek on Saturday morning when he skidded in Chell Heath Road, Chell Heath, Stoke-on-Trent, and hit a lamppost.
Mr Heath's Renault Clio was badly damaged in the accident, and he ended up in A&E, although he was not seriously hurt.
A police officer told Mr Heath that a 4x4 had hit the same lamppost earlier that morning, following a similar skid, and that highways officers at Stoke-on-Trent City Council were told the road was in a dangerous state.
The 41-year-old says he feels the council did not act on the information quickly enough and is now considering making a claim against the council for the damage to his car.
Mr Heath, of Batkin Close, Chell Heath, said: "It's not as if I was late for work and I was hurrying or anything. I was only doing about 20 or 25mph.
"I'd just come over the brow of a hill and overtaken a milk float when the front end of the car just started sliding. The car went round and round, and then hit the kerb, which sent it up into a pirouette.
"Fortunately it came down on its wheels but I went straight into a lamppost.
"I was shaken all over place, but I was wearing my seatbelt. The impact was so bad it activated the side airbag. The car is a write off now."
A spokesman for Staffordshire Police confirmed they were called out to two ice-related accidents in Chell Heath Road on Saturday morning, the first at 7am and the second at 8.30am.
She said: "After the first incident the council were contacted and requested to turn out and see to the lamppost, which had been damaged, and also to grit the road.
"Following the second incident, the council were re-contacted. The road was closed and a gritting truck arrived just after 9am, and again at 9.50am."
The front end of Mr Heath's car was badly smashed up in the accident, with the bumper and one headlight left hanging off.
Mr Heath said the crash aggravated old injuries.
He said: "I've had a double hernia operation, and so when I woke up the next morning it felt like I'd been on the drink for a week. My neck really hurt and I had a bruised side as well.
"I class myself as a good driver. I'm not a boy racer. But I believe that road was in a dangerous condition.
"I feel the council should have been more responsive to the first accident. They should have either closed the road or sent a gritter straight away.
"Ironically, as I was going into the ambulance the gritting truck did finally turn up."
A spokesman for Stoke-on-Trent City Council said: "We are aware of the situation and are currently looking into what happened."
CRASH SCENE: Peter Heath at the scene of his accident. Inset, where his car ended up. Below, the damage caused to his car.
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