HOMEOWNERS were woken up and left stunned after a car crashed while being driven down a residential road before dangerously flipping and landing on its side.

Essex Police were called to Wellesley Road, Clacton, shortly after midnight yesterday after receiving reports a Kia Rio had smashed into a van before overturning.

According to officers, the two people believed to be in the car at the time of the incident, fled the scene before police got there leaving the vehicle abandoned in the middle of the street.

No-one has so far been arrested and both the driver and the passenger remain at large.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We were called at 12.25am on Monday with reports a Kia Rio had struck a parked van and overturned in Wellesley Road, Clacton.

“The two occupants left the scene before police arrived.

“Our inquiries remain ongoing.”

One resident, who asked not to be named, lives at the end of St Andrew’s Road, just metres away from where the car crashed and overturned.

She witnessed the moment officers arrived to investigate before closing off the road while they planned out what to do with the abandoned vehicle.

“I didn’t see what happened but I was at home and then heard a loud bang,” she said.

“Then, about ten minutes later, about three police cars turned up and six police officers all got out.

“I saw the car on its side but if I am honest, I wasn’t that surprised.

“It is not the first time something like this has happened around here and it certainly won’t be the last.”

The witness said it was lucky no-one else was injured as a result of the crash.

“The driver is lucky it didn’t happen earlier in the day when there might have been more people about,” she added.

“They could have seriously injured someone, and it really could have been a lot worse.”

Anyone with information should call Essex Police on 101.