East Preston grandmother ‘breaks nose’ by tripping in a pothole

An East Preston grandmother has been left with a suspected broken nose after she tripped in a pothole.
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At 12.30pm on Saturday, January 25, Loraine Stephens was walking home when she fell over while crossing the road in Vermont Drive, at the junction with Vermont Way, East Preston.

Due to the sunken pavement and poor road surface, she said: “I felt the sole of my foot slipping on the loose gravel on top of the road, which wasn’t proper Tarmac.”

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The 83-year-old, of Lavinia Way, East Preston, added: “I could see the road coming towards me, and then there was this thud as I hit the ground.

Loraine Stephens was walking home when she fell over while crossing the road in Vermont Drive, at the junction with Vermont Way, East PrestonLoraine Stephens was walking home when she fell over while crossing the road in Vermont Drive, at the junction with Vermont Way, East Preston
Loraine Stephens was walking home when she fell over while crossing the road in Vermont Drive, at the junction with Vermont Way, East Preston

“It was extremely painful and I was shaking, which was probably shock.”

Nearby residents rushed from their homes to help Loraine.

One family invited her inside and gave her first aid before the ambulance arrived two hours later, when she was taken to Worthing Hospital for treatment.

The retired surveying equipment saleswoman said doctors told her she had a suspected broken nose, in addition to the swelling to her forehead and bruising and cuts to her face.

Loraine Stephens tripped and fell due to the state of the kerb in Vermont Drive, with the junction of Vermont Way, East PrestonLoraine Stephens tripped and fell due to the state of the kerb in Vermont Drive, with the junction of Vermont Way, East Preston
Loraine Stephens tripped and fell due to the state of the kerb in Vermont Drive, with the junction of Vermont Way, East Preston
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Since the incident, Loraine has been recovering at home and gave a bottle of wine to the family that took her in as a thank you.

Loraine also wanted to thank the other members of the public that stopped to help her in her hour of need.

She said: “So many people were really good, and showed so much empathy.”

She came forward to highlight ‘the dangers of bad road surfacing’ and what happens when they are not fixed.

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She said Vermont Drive was littered with potholes, and drivers would weave between parked cars to avoid the craters.

She said: “It is a recipe for disaster.

“It could have been a lot worse if vehicles were involved.

“Everybody complains about it; it is probably one of the worst roads.”

Loraine said she was seeking legal advice about the incident.

West Sussex County Council’s highways department is responsible for the repairs.

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A spokesman said: “We are concerned to hear of any accident.

“Having been made aware of this incident, a highways officer inspected Vermont Drive but did not find any issues needing urgent, safety-related repair.

“The county council is making arrangements for previously identified, longer term, larger-scale surfacing needs, although we are not yet in a position to give timescales for these works.”