Car written off after pothole accident

A POTHOLE riddled road near Creca has become so dangerous that a car was recently written off after hitting it at speed.

The motorist, believed to be from outwith the region, careered into huge potholes at around 50 mph and their car was extensively damaged.

It is unclear if the driver was hurt, but a farmer reportedly assisted with a forklift after the incident.

The situation was discussed at Annandale and Eskdale area committee last week where councillors were discussing the state of the roads and repairs that have been overdue for years.

Annandale South Councillor Ian Carruthers, committee chairman, described how this accident occurred on a pothole-plagued stretch near Scotsfield, between Creca and Eastriggs.

He said: “This road has been reported for probably three or four years now consistently, and I’ve never seen any repairs to it.

“I know more recently, in the last five or six weeks, the farmer was down with the folklift to lift a car out. It was a wet day and somebody from outwith the region was heading towards a business park, and hit potholes at about probably 40mph or 50 mph.

“The car was written off – that’s certainly my understanding.”

Roads, potholes, and the lengthy repairs schedule were all discussed at the committee along with a report showing that customer satisfaction with road safety had actually improved by 5.56 percent in 2024/25.

However, some elected members were not convinced.

Annandale East and Eskdale Councillor Denis Male said: “I have never seen roads in the state that they’re in. Just wherever you go the roads are not safe.”

He said roads that had gone unrepaired for 18 months headed into another winter in an even worse state, and estimated that 95 per cent of the rural roads he drives have dangerous sections — particularly for cyclists and motorcyclists.

The independent councillor also warned that some small rural roads are now closing entirely due to the damage.

He said: “All I see now is more and more damage on our roads and we’re in summer.”

Councillor Male called on roads chiefs to give community councils a clear forward programme of planned work that they could actually understand.

Meanwhile, Annandale South Councillor George Jamieson said: “Are we recording how well the repairs have been done? How long it’s lasting?”

He said a local resident had told him that a crew fixed three quarters of the potholes along one stretch and then never returned to finish the job.

Karen Brownlie, the assistant director of transport and infrastructure, told the committee the council manages 4200 kilometres of roads across the region within a tight budget, working on a risk-based approach.

She said the ‘Fix My Street’ system, launched on March 1, now allows both the public and elected members to track reported defects and check when they have been inspected or repaired.

* Photo for illustration purposes only