Lucky escape as car careers down hill after child releases handbrake (From The Northern Echo)

Lucky escape as car careers down hill after child releases handbrake

10:40am Thursday 26th February 2009 in

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A MOTHER watched in horror after her driverless car sped 180ft down a hill and smashed into a fence after her four-year-old son released the handbrake with him and his toddler brother strapped inside.

Antonia Nixon, 42, left her children inside the vehicle for moments to nip into a store to buy a bunch of flowers.

But while away, her son, Jay, let off the handbrake and the car began to roll down the busy street.

The car miraculously avoided parked cars and pedestrians before crashing into a fence, almost flipping over.

It came to rest and the two youngsters escaped completely unharmed.

Frantic Antonia ran to the scene expecting the worst.

But she found a bemused Leon, two, in the smashed up Vauxhall Zafira with stunned Jay, who declared: "I'm sorry I broke your car."

Guilt-ridden Antonia said: "I can't believe I was so stupid.

"Anything could have happened to the kids or anyone on that street. I'm so sorry."

Antonia, 42, from Hartlepool, had popped into the Sainsbury's store, in Cotsford Lane, Horden, at around 1.30pm on Sunday after visiting relatives in Peterlee.

Sacred Heart Primary School pupil Jay was strapped in the front - with his brother in the car seat in the back as his mum locked the car and took the keys before nipping into the store to get the flowers and a bottle of water.

Antonia, an administration and accounts worker with Castle Dene Construction, in Peterlee, added: "I left the kids, locked the doors and went into the shop and picked up flowers and a bottle of water.

"I was in there two minutes at the most.

"But when I came out my car was gone.

"I was thinking 'Oh my God, where's my car?'"

Antonia, whose partner Nick Anderson is father to the children, said her first thoughts were that her car had been stolen with her children inside.

But then she noticed a group of people gathered around the car down the hill.

"I ran, got to the car and got the kids out. I was in shock," said Antonia.

"Thank God I hadn't seen the car rolling. I would have dropped down dead of a heart attack on the spot.

"Jay kept saying 'I'm sorry for wrecking your car'. But I told him 'it's not your fault, it's my fault, I shouldn't have left you in the car by yourself'.

"I can't believe I was so stupid."

Stunned passers-by who had gone to help told Antonia how the car had flipped on to two wheels after hitting a kerb - but had amazingly avoided rolling over and landed back on four wheels.

Police, firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene but were not needed.

Antonia's car was written off in the smash - with Jay and Leon oblivious to the fuss.

Red-faced Antonia said: "I've learned the hard way. The car could have hit a woman walking up the road or walking a buggy, it could have hit some kids.

"Thankfully it only hit a fence and my kids are fine."