Council officials were warned about potholes on a stretch of road almost two months before a Porsche driver died reportedly swerving to avoid one. 

The 74-year-old from Reigate, Surrey was pronounced dead at the scene near Petworth, West Sussex after his 911 GT2 was in collision with a BMW last Monday, says the Daily Telegraph.

The crash involved four cars and damaged a house. The 65-year-old driver of the BMW was taken to St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester.

Police have appealed for information but officers are investigating whether the Porsche swerved to avoid a pothole and hit the BMW, two other cars and the porch of a house.

A source close to the investigation said: “It’s possible one of the cars swerved to avoid the pothole. It’s something we are looking at.”

On March 14 two reports were made to West Sussex council warning of dangerous potholes on the same stretch of the A272 Horsham Road between Petworth and Fox Hill.

It is around two miles between the villages, but the reports appear to have referred to the crash location.

West Sussex council was warned by a member of the public of a 500mm wide pothole on the westbound carriageway and a 400mm and 70mm deep on the eastbound.

In a report sent to the council the driver wrote: “Both cause vehicles to veer into the opposite carriageway. They have been there for longer than 30 days and are continuing to deteriorate.”

The same day the council received another report from a different driver complaining of a “very, very dangerous surface” and stating that both sides were “completely unacceptable”.

The motorist said that “both east and westbound the carriageway is destroyed and liable to cause a serious accident. In 14 months I’ve had to buy four new wheels, 12 tyres and two new front wheel bearings all due to the negligence of the public highway. I want answers.”

(Pic – Eddie Mitchell/The Daily Telegraph)