A WOMAN was fetching wine from her kitchen when a car ploughed into the same room of her house last night.

Neighbour Roger Newnham heard an almighty crash and rushed to find the vehicle embedded into the front of the cottage in Wellington Marsh.

He told the Hereford Times this morning that his neighbour was lucky to be alive as she had been just metres from the wall that the car hit.

"She had been getting wine from the kitchen for her and her husband when the car crashed through the wall," he added.

"Luckily she was stood at the other end of the room but was still struck by debris from the crash.

"A few of us rushed over to help and although badly shaken she was luckily ok."

The front end of the car was lodged inside the house with the rear wheels suspended off the ground.

The car has now been removed, but the house has suffered severe structural damage.

Paramedics were among those to attend at 7.30pm yesterday evening and took one man, who had been in the car, to hospital.

He had suffered injuries which were not said to be serious.

A woman was also assessed and discharged by paramedics at the scene.

Mr Newnham said it is the third time in the past 15 years that his neighbour's house has been hit – and is calling for urgent action to stop cars leaving the spot on the A49 a few miles north of Hereford.

"The speed limit through here is 50mph but I would like to see it reduced," he added.

"When you pass through villages south of Hereford on the A49 the limit is lower so I'm not sure why it is different here."

Mr Newnham also asked for a speed barrier to be installed outside his home.

"There is a barrier on the other side of the road and, since it has gone up, no cars have gone into the houses over there," he said.

"But the cars do bounce off the barriers and are pushed towards our side of the road – I think that is what happened here last night."

The damaged house has been taped off by fire fighters, worried that parts of the roof would collapse.

And temporary traffic lights have been placed outside the home as one lane of the A49 has been closed.

Staff from the Highways Agency said this morning that they did not know how long the lights would remain in place.

The Hereford Times understands that the couple in the damaged house stayed the night at a neighbour's home.