Near-miss in Newport sparks a crash for cash alert

The warning comes after a woman said she believed she had been targeted while driving in Newport.

The driver, who asked not to be named, told the Shropshire Star a metallic green car had been driving erratically around Forton Road island, at the junction of the A41 and A519.

The car then braked suddenly with nothing in front of it but she managed to swerve her Mini out of the way. However, when her daughter drove past an hour later a car of a similar description had been involved in a collision with another vehicle at exactly the same location.

The woman said she suspected that the driver was trying to deliberately cause a crash in a bid to make a fraudulent insurance claim.

The incident happened in the evening on August 17. She said: "I was following the green car and then when we got to the Forton Road island he just put his brakes on and stopped.

"There was nothing in front of us which is why I thought it was so bizarre. I just managed to steer around it and ended up next to it.

"It shook me up. An hour later I found out that my daughter had come to the same island and there was an accident with a similar car."

West Mercia Police said they were still looking into the reports – but warned drivers to be vigilant.

Spokesman Richard Ewels said: "The concerns raised are still being investigated.

"In general terms, however, we would remind motorists to keep a safe distance between themselves and the vehicle in front.

"If involved in a collision, record as much detail as possible and if you suspect it was deliberately caused, call the police."

The Insurance Fraud Bureau estimates around 30,000 crash for cash incidents take place every year, costing insurers around £350 million and pushing up premiums for honest, innocent drivers by around £44 each.

This is not the first suspected crash for cash incident in Shropshire. In July last year police warned drivers about "staged" crashes after several incidents on the A41 near Albrighton.

Meanwhile, Henshalls Insurance Brokers, based in Newport and Shropshire, has warned drivers of a new problem dubbed "flash for cash."

In this scam, fraudsters flash their headlights at another motorist to apparently let them out of a junction before accelerating and smashing into the side of their car.

Director Anthony Hughes said: "Flash for cash is even more sly as blame for the accident will come down to your word against theirs about whether or not they flashed their lights to let you out."