THE mission to get a crossing on a busy road where a woman was knocked down is one step closer after residents complained of suffering 'horrible' near misses at the same spot.
The petition which asks for a button-operated pelican crossing at Windermere Drive in Warndon (near Sainsbury's Blackpole) was handed in to Worcestershire County Council at County Hall on Thursday.
A woman in her 40s was knocked down on Wednesday, February 7 and rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after suffering life-threatening injuries, sparking the petition.
The petition, organised in the wake of the incident by Labour councillors and candidates, garnered 200 signatures.
The injured woman is now said to be in a stable condition following the incident at around 5.20pm when a beige Nissan Figaro travelling from Blackpole towards Sainsbury's collided with a woman crossing the road at the zebra crossing.
Cllr Jill Desayrah, who has been calling for a pelican crossing at the spot for a year, thanked the chair and vice-chair of the meeting for accepting the petition.
She said in her speech: "I had two reasons for asking County Highways to make this zebra crossing into a pelican over a year ago.
"Firstly several residents confirmed that speeding traffic approaching the crossing was a serious concern. Many people waited some time before stepping onto it, because so many cars simply sped through it.
"Secondly, as a driver, I could understand how the lines of sight were not sufficiently clear to make the approach to the crossing safe from either direction, leaving little time to see and safely stop for waiting pedestrians as the high metal barriers obscured the view.
"Screeching tyres were often heard as last-second brakes were applied and dozens of near misses arose. The data gathered on this petition is a revelation.
"Time after time we spoke with people who had suffered the anxiety of a close call. Vehicles would stop on one side of the road, allowing waiting pedestrians to start to cross, but vehicles coming in the opposite direction failed to stop, whizzing past them, marooned mid-crossing.
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"So many near misses - often involving people with mobility issues or pushing buggies. Horrible. Therefore, in addition to the Pelican crossing, we believe that traffic calming measures are needed, as determined by a full safety assessment."
The accounts of residents recorded within the petition, some of whom have experienced near misses themselves, have been described as 'chilling' by the petition's organisers.
Edward Kimberley, a city council candidate for Warndon, said: "Preparing this petition, reading all the testimonies and setting them out to go to County Hall is one of the saddest things I've ever had to do.
"The pages we have handed over today were full to the brim with human stories of near misses, frightening situations, and sympathy for the victim of the recent accident. I hope never to have to do this again. I hope that the County Council will take speedy action to make this deadly crossing safe."
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