A deep pothole on the A540 may have played at part in the crash that cost the lives of four people.
The pothole measuring 12 inches across and 20 inches in length is next to a road drain on the Chester High Road and about 80 yards from the point at which the Vauxhall Tigra smashed into a tree.
One local resident, who did not wish to be named, told how he rushed out of his home after he heard an "almighty bang" as the car hit a tree and then dialed 999 for the emergency services.
The man, aged in his sixties, said: "I heard and almighty bang and came out to see what had happened. I thought at first we thought it was two cars that were involved and then we realised that it was one that had spilt into three pieces.
"There is a strong chance that driver lost control at about the point where there is a deep pothole in road. There are some signs at the pothole that there has been an impact and there is a Vauxhall wheel trim lying alongside the road a little way down.
"If it hit the pothole at speed the car could have had a blow-out of the driver would simply have lot control. It seems he has gone into a sideways skid, hit the kerb and then the tree.
"The car has hit the tree with its roof - the people inside would not have stood a chance. It must have been going at more than sixty miles an hour. The engine has parted from the car on impact and shot out down the road.
"It is all very sad and such a tragic loss of life."
The stretch of road has a 40mph speed limit but is known as an accident blackspot and the man, who lives in a bungalow near crash scene, said that the hours of darkness are when most accidents happen.
He said: "During the day the road is busy but quite safe. The police are often here with speed guns waiting to issue tickets to anyone doing more than 45mph and so most people stick to the speed limit.
"But come the hours of darkness the traffic is much more sparse and it turns into a racetrack.
"We get motorbikes zipping past doing more than a hundred miles an hour and cars doing seventy or more.
"It is at night that the accidents and the deaths happen because of people simply going too fast.
"We never see a policeman here late a night but that is when they should be out - to catch people risking their lives by doing these ridiculous speeds."
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