Pub landlady calls for warning signs to be installed at dangerous T-junction after NINE vehicles plunge into river or fly through her beer garden fence

Published: 12:18, 5 May 2026 | Updated: 12:18, 5 May 2026 A pub landlady has railed against an accident black spot after a ninth car crashed into her beer garden. Barbara Smith, who runs The Woolpack in the village of Sopley, Dorset, said drivers were consistently caught out by a T-junction followed by a sharp bend around the pub. Police were called shortly before 4am on Monday morning after a silver Renault Megane drove across the junction and ploughed through the brick wall of a historic bridge next to the pub. It then flew across a 20ft brook and collided with a concrete post in the pub garden - there were no injuries but both the car and the pub suffered 'extensive damage'. Officers later arrested two 21-year-old men at a house in Bournemouth, both on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drugs, driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit and driving a motor vehicle dangerously. One of the men was also arrested on suspicion of driving whilst unfit through drink - he was later released with no further action to be taken while the other man was released under investigation, Hampshire Police told the Daily Mail. Ms Smith, whose pub has been closed for repairs following flooding in January, said 'something needs to be done before someone gets hurt'. She compared the latest car crash to the flying orange Dodge Charger from 1980s American action comedy television series The Dukes of Hazzard. A Renault Megane became the ninth vehicle to crash into The Woolpack in Dorset after it drove through a bridge in the early hours of Monday Two men were arrested after the car crashed through a bridge and cleared a brook before causing damage to the pub garden The Woolpack lies on the edge of a brook, which is passed over by Coronation Bridge, renamed to mark the crowning of King Charles in 2023 The pub lies on a sharp bend after a T-junction where a lack of street lighting obscures the dangerous turn at night The Woolpack's landlady Barbara Smith, pictured with a Sopley resident, said more should be done to warn drivers of the dangerous bend 'Literally it is like Dukes of Hazzard as the car has cleared the bank and gone through a concrete post in the garden,' she said. 'It must have been going at some speed.' Most crashes outside the pub have been at night - a lack of street lighting means drivers sometimes fail to spot the bend. In 2014 the bridge - which was named Coronation Bridge after King Charles was crowned in 2023 - was partially rebuilt after a car crashed through it, before four more crashes the following year. A van crashed there in 2018 before another car did the same in 2023. After a crash in March, a Renault was left wedged nose-down in the water at a 45-degree angle. Barbara continued: 'The junction by the pub and over the bridge is a T-junction but should not be approached too fast as it's quite a tight turn. A previous crash saw a van stranded above the brook with its bonnet smashed into the bank Another example saw a car lodged in the water with bricks crumbling from Coronation Bridge in the wake of the crash 'Most local people know this and slow down and pay attention but those not familiar with the area approach too fast and don't have time to react when they see the left turn and then go straight into the wall of the bridge. 'Maybe the authorities can put up more warning signs to get cars to slow down before the T-junction 'Maybe some lighting on the bridge so it can be seen at night by drivers approaching the pub.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.