Driver who swerved flying mattress may be BILLED £10,000 for crash damage to central reservation

A motorist whose car was written off after he swerved to avoid a mattress on a dual carriageway could be slapped with a £10,000 bill – for damaging the central reservation.

Steven Hookway’s Renault Scenic was written off when he took evasive action to avoid the mattress as he travelled at 65mph on the A38 in Devon, spinning around 360 degrees.

But the 46-year-old has now been told he is responsible for repairing the central barrier, which will cost between £5,000 and £10,000.

The accounts manager was driving in the outside lane when a mattress, believed to have fallen off a van, suddenly appeared in front of him.

“When you’re in the outside lane travelling at 65 miles per hour and you see an obstacle in the road in the dark, do you avoid the brick wall or go into it?” he said. “I decided to avoid it, hit the curb on the inside lane and span across the road again.”

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He escaped without injury but his car has been written off with extensive damage to the passenger side and the bonnet.

Another car also hit the mattress, which then became lodged under it causing the driver to brake and stop suddenly.

The incident left two lanes of the A38 closed to traffic for around an hour and caused huge tailbacks.

Mr Hookway said if the mattress hadn’t been there, then the accident would never have happened and is appealing for the driver of the truck it fell from, or any witnesses, to come forward: “out of the goodness of their hearts”.

He said he couldn’t believe he hadn’t been left seriously injured or dead after the incident on the A38 near Plymouth.

“When it was happening I was just waiting for the next big bang or for the car to flip,” he said.

“I know I’m very fortunate – I even ended up in the lay-by facing back the right way.

“I don’t know how I’m not seriously injured or even dead. I didn’t think I’d see my family again.”