Porsche driver, 74, dies 'after trying to swerve a pothole' as he clipped oncoming car, hit BMW and rammed into roadside home in horror four-car smash

Porsche driver, 74, dies 'after trying to swerve a pothole' as he clipped oncoming car, hit BMW and rammed into roadside home in horror four-car smash

A man driving a high-performance Porsche sports car who died after clipping an oncoming vehicle and crashing into the side of a house may have been trying to dodge a pothole, police sources have suggested. 

The 74-year-old man, from Reigate in Surrey, was pronounced dead at the scene after his 911 997 GT2 - a stripped back version of the iconic sports car designed for driving at race circuits - hit multiple cars and a roadside home on a Sussex road.

A 65-year-old man from Midhurst in Sussex who was driving a white BMW was taken to hospital after incurring 'serious injuries' in the smash. Two other vehicles, a black BMW and a white Audi, were also involved. 

Police are appealing for information and sources have indicated that one theory relates to a large pothole close to the crash site, which they believe the man may have sought to avoid as he travelled along the road on Monday at 7.50am.

The crash, on the A272 Horsham Road near Petworth, was on the same day as a Porsche owners club track day at Goodwood racing circuit just a few miles away.

Porsche Club Great Britain does not know whether the car, which had a personalised number plate, belonged to one of its members.

A spokesperson said: 'At this time, we haven't been informed that this is one of our members.'

Sussex Police detectives believe the left-hand drive sports car crashed into the BMW as it swerved to avoid the crater in the tarmac, hitting two other vehicles and the porch of a roadside house before coming to a stop.

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.'

Paramedics, including an air ambulance, were summoned and treated the man at the scene. Despite their best efforts he died before he could be taken to hospital.

The 65-year-old driver of the white BMW who was injured was taken to St Richard's Hospital in Chichester where he is now in stable. The drivers of the two other vehicles were not injured.

Those living near the scene said the stretch of road is notorious for speeding. There is no suggestion at this time that excessive speed played a factor in the incident.

One local said: 'Everybody speeds down this hill. After winding through all the lanes, its frustration.

'Once they see the long straight, they think: 'This is my chance to overtake'.'

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: 'We are aware of a four-vehicle collision on the A272 Horsham Road in Petworth on Monday (29 April) in which a man has sadly died and another driver suffered injuries.

'First and foremost, our thoughts are with the families and friends of those involved. The police are carrying out a collision investigation and we await their findings. It would not be appropriate to comment any further at this time.'

The GT2 is among the fastest editions of the 911 sports car that Porsche produces. 

The German manufacturer began producing the stripped-back version of the car in the 1990s as a roadgoing companion to its competitive racing models. 

The 997-generation version of the car became only the third ever road-legal Porsche to be capable of exceeding speeds of 200mph.

It could reach 60mph from a standing start in under four seconds and was, at the time of its launch 17 years ago, the fastest road car the company had ever built.

It had a highly tuned engine and a stripped out lightweight interior - with no rear seats and the option installing a roll cage - to make it as fast as possible, and was designed primarily for driving at race tracks.

According to DVLA data, there are currently around 156 Porsche 911 GT2s of all ages in Britain - with almost six in ten declared off-road.

Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information about the collision to come forward.

This includes anyone with CCTV in the area, and anyone with dashcam footage from vehicles in the area at the time.