Emmerdale car crash comp image: Ethan and Nicky (Credit: ITV/Comp ED!)
Soaps

Emmerdale fans complain as show airs third car crash in less than a year: ‘Lazy’

Emmerdale viewers aren't impressed with the latest scenes

Nicky Miligan and Ethan Anderson were involved in a car crash in last night’s Emmerdale. Nicky was in a bad way as Ethan left him for dead to avoid punishment for driving over the limit.

But fans were more than a little fed-up after watching the scenes – after all, it marked the third car accident the show has screened in less than a year. They demanded the soap get more original with its storylines.

Nicky Miligan is unconscious in the car after the crash with cuts to his face
It’s not looking good for Nicky (Credit: ITV)

Emmerdale airs Nicky and Ethan car crash

In the episode aired on Thursday May 9, Nicky was fed-up with the way his dad, Caleb, was treating him. He got drunk in The Hide and persuaded Ethan, who was celebrating getting a top new job as a human rights lawyer, to join him.

Before too long Nicky got a phone call from a panicking Suni, who was hiding in the toilets at a bar in town. He had spotted one of the homophobic men who had attacked them last year and was terrified.

Ethan insisted Nicky was too drunk to drive, so offered to do so instead. Ethan had also been drinking though and when they drove past a police car, was stressed as he knew he was over the limit. The police car went the other way, but a speeding Ethan then crashed. Although we didn’t actually see the accident itself.

Both men were knocked unconscious and it was Ethan who came round first.

Ethan hides after the crash in Emmerdale
Moira helped Nicky as Ethan hid – and then fled (Credit: ITV)

Ethan leaves Nicky to die in Emmerdale

Ethan tried to wake Nicky and eventually dragged him out of the car, but when Ethan heard another car coming, he ran, afraid of getting in trouble for the crash, especially as he was over the limit. He watched from his hiding place behind a tree as Moira pulled up and tended to Nicky and called an ambulance.

As Nicky was whisked in for surgery due to very heavy bleeding on the brain, Ethan limped back to the village with barely a scratch on him.

Nicky will be in a coma as next week picks the action up and Ethan is still lying about what happened. But when Charles finds out, he reports his son to the police and Ethan is arrested.

Chloe and Charity reach out to Mack as the car topples over a cliff on Emmerdale
Chloe survived – though no one knows how! (Credit: ITV)

Other recent car crashes in Emmerdale

This marks the third crash in the soap since last October – just seven months.

The first saw Chloe Harris lose control of the car she was driving with Mackenzie Boyd and Charity Dingle in. The car came to a halt on the edge of a cliff and Mack managed to get out. He then had to choose who to save – Charity or Chloe.

Mack reached for Charity’s hand first, despite being engaged to Chloe and her being the mother of his baby son. Chloe then went careering over the cliff, but miraculously survived.

Not so lucky was Heath Hope, who was involved in a car smash on New Year’s Eve. He, Angelica King and Cathy Hope had gone joyriding to get to a party in Hotten and the car had spun out of control. Heath died on impact.

Although everyone believed Cathy had been driving, it soon became apparent Angelica was behind the wheel. She has been sentenced to eight months in a secure children’s home as punishment for the crime.

Heath did not survive his car crash (Credit: ITV)

Fans not impressed

Those watching at home have been left more than a little unimpressed by the soap’s lack of originality after last night’s crash. One called it a ‘lazy option’, while others questioned why we didn’t even see the accident happen.

“I wonder how much the Emmerdale writers get paid? Yet the still lazy ‘go to’ option is a car crash!” said one on X.

More queried: “Another car crash storyline really?”

“Ffs how original yet another car crash,” raged someone else.

And another agreed: “Another car crash already!” A fifth added: “Another car crash? Three in like six months? Wow…. scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

“How many car crash plots does one soap need?” asked someone else.

Others weren’t happy to not even see the action, with one writing: “We didn’t see the last car crash, either.

“Did I faint? I missed where the car crashed…” joked a second.

A third added: “Wtf was that?? Are you not gonna show the crash??”

Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale in 2024?

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Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV, with an hour episode on Thursdays.

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Carena Crawford
Associate Editor (Soaps)