A DRIVER avoided serious injuries despite crashing into two gas mains, leading to eight houses being evacuated.

The man, in his twenties, came off Rectory Road, near the junction with Windsor Gardens in Hawkwell, crashing and rupturing the gas mains and causing a leak.

Firefighters from Hawkwell and Rayleigh raced to the scene at about 8pm on Thursday and worked with gas board specialists to stem the leak.

Police were also on the scene, directing traffic as a 1km exclusion zone was put in place and eight nearby homes were evacuated.

The ambulance service sent an ambulance, two rapid response cars and a paramedic officer to the scene, but the driver was not badly hurt.

The leak was isolated by about 9pm and residents were allowed back to their homes at 9.30pm, with the police re-opening the road at about midnight.

Three National Grid crews were still at the scene on Friday, repairing the damage and one resident called for speed cameras on the road.

Cheryl Harold, 38, had been out all evening and returned home shortly before 10pm.

She said: “People drive like maniacs down here, but it will take someone dying before anyone does anything about it – we need speed cameras there.”