A WOMAN has said a narrow road in Spencers Wood is ‘a fatality waiting to happen’ after she was hit by a speeding driver earlier this month.
Tess Mayne, who has been campaigning since March for a stretch of Hyde End Road to be widened, was involved in a collision on the road on Wednesday, August 9.
Mrs Mayne, who lives in Winston Close, was waiting to turn into her street when a car ploughed into her BMW, causing her to suffer whiplash and bruising.
The impact was so great that her car’s emergency impact device automatically alerted police and paramedics.
Ironically, Mrs Mayne had moved to Spencers Wood only a few years ago to escape the busy roads of London after being involved in a catastrophic collision in Richmond.
Mrs Mayne said: “I was knocked off my moped by a bus and my left leg was crushed. My husband and I moved to Spencers Wood because we thought it was quiet and safe.
“To be in a collision like that once is just awful, but to be involved in another is just crazy.
“The paramedics arrived and put me in the ambulance to be checked over, but my husband asked them to take me out as it was bringing back traumatic memories from when I had my first accident. It was awful.
“The driver of the car that hit me only lives around the corner, so he knows the road, he possibly knows it too well and became complacent.
“I always drive round there very slowly because you just can’t see round the bend.”
Thankfully, this time Mrs Mayne came away from the crash with whiplash and bruising, but she said it could have been much, much worse.
She said: “That stretch of road, which we call Dobbies’ Corner because it is close to Dobbies Garden Centre, is a fatality waiting to happen.
“I saw my GP for a check-up and he said that he had seen a number of people who had been involved in accidents along that stretch of road so it is definitely becoming more frequent.”
Mrs Mayne said she has seen buses and HGV lorries having to mount the pavement to get through, posing a danger to pedestrians.
She continued: “I think about elderly people and mums with strollers who use that footpath all the time, widening the road seems like such a simple thing to do which could easily save a life.
“With all the developments going on in the area, and the possibility of a quarry being built down the road in Arborfield, this will just add to the number of vehicles and lorries on the road.
“They widened the road at the new Croft Gardens development, so why can’t they do the same here?
“I was very lucky to come away with just bruising this time, but the effects of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) could take a few weeks to kick in, so it will be a while before I get back into my car.”
The University of Reading, which owns the land, has said that they are happy to allow amendments to the road to take place.
A spokesperson said: “As landowner, the University was approached by the campaigners to ask if we would be willing to relinquish some of the land to allow amendments to Hyde End Road to take place. We have stated we are happy to allow this to happen. If this solution is settled upon, we will continue to work with the residents and the council to allow the work to be completed.”
Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Chris Bowring said: “I am sorry to learn about the incident on Hyde End Road. The safety of our residents is very important to us as a council.
“A group of concerned residents has brought this to our attention and we will prioritise looking at the safety of this road.”
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