Car crash sparks fears of fatalities (From Stroud News and Journal)

Car crash sparks fears of fatalities

EVERY day during term time more than 80 children spill out onto this stretch of road.

Luckily for them and the two occupants of this car who escaped unhurt this accident happened at going home time - on a Saturday.

Just 24 hours earlier the scene could have been one of carnage and now residents are demanding that speed limits be reduced outside Brimscombe Primary School.

The accident happened at 3.30pm on Saturday, April 23.

Liese Hull, who lives on opposite the school on Brimscombe Hill, has started a petition after a car spun out of control on the hairpin bend, smashing into her wall and ending up on its side.

She came home from the Nailsworth Festival to find "bits of car and grease all over the driveway", and police, fire and ambulance crews on the scene.

Miss Hull, of Vale View Cottage, said: "I ran up the hill, thinking 'God, where are the kids?'"

"Two lads were climbing out the window to get out, and petrol and coolant were all over the house."

Her children Hannah, 14, Becky, 13, Emily, 11 and Jack, 2, were left "shaken" by the incident. Three of the youngsters were in the house when the car crashed into their wall.

Now she and partner Neil Cavanagh have joined forces with neighbours and staff at Brimscombe School to get the speed limit on the road reduced from 30 to 20 mph.

Miss Hull is meeting with Gloucestershire County Council traffic officers this week to ask them to consider installing devices such as speed cameras or sleeping policemen.

She is also being trained to use a speed gun, which monitors the pace of traffic.

Brimscombe School head David Shears is fully supporting her campaign, which will be discussed by school governors next week.

When asked if he was concerned about the safety of his 85 pupils, Mr Shears replied, "absolutely."

"There is a point at which the pavement comes down to virtually nothing," he said.

"We have just managed to get that widened a few months back and we have managed to get the road signs with 'slow' put up.

"We have had people from the council out to governors' meetings but it would be good to have some sort of traffic calming measure as well."

A spokeswoman from the council said: "Nothing along these lines has been done before because we weren't aware of any particular problem in the area.

"We do need local people to draw these areas of concern to our attention as Miss Hull has done.

"Before we can take a decision on traffic calming measures in the area we need more information on the problem from local people.

"We will then look into the issues in more detail and perhaps start a study."