A WOMAN was taken to hospital with 'major trauma' injuries after her car collided with a tractor at a notorious accident blackspot.

The incident has led to renewed calls for traffic calming measures on the road which a councillor said has been the site of a number of serious accident over recent years.

Police said the woman in her mid-30s suffered pelvic, hip and ankle injuries when her black Citroen C1 and the tractor crashed on a bend in Brokenstone Road, Blackburn, at 7.50am yesterday.

No arrests have been made in connection with the incident.

Firefighters from Blackburn and Chorley Stations had to cut the roof off the car to free the woman.

She was taken to Royal Preston Hospital, with police describing her injuries as 'non life-threatening'.

The driver of the tractor was not seriously injured.

The incident has led councillors and residents to call on Blackburn with Darwen Council to implement urgent safety measures 'before somebody is killed'.

Hundreds of houses are also set to be built in the area leading to concerns about more vehicles will also soon be using the road.

Livesey with Pleasington Cllr Derek Hardman said: "Something needs to be done urgently before someone dies.

"You can't put a price on a life but that is what seems to be happening.

"I am told nothing can be done at the moment because road safety is done on a points system and it doesn't meet the criteria. But there have been several bad accidents at exactly the same point as this latest one over the last two years.

"I have asked for the speed limit to be reduced all the way down. I know the stretch where the crash happened is 30mph but it's 60mph further up and it suddenly changes.

"They could at least break it up with a 40mph buffer zone so you're not just suddenly changing from 60mph to 30mph straight away. I will be raising this again with highways to see what can be done."

Feniscowles resident John Milton said he had contacted the council on a number of occasions about safety improvements after witnessing a number of near misses.

Mr Milton said: "There should be signs to make motorists aware of the constant tractor traffic that take up most of this narrow road. Do we have to wait for someone to die to use common sense?

"I hope this terrible incident will highlight the dangers of this road and the councils refusal to do anything regarding my continued warnings to this effect over the past couple of years."

Following yesterday's crash police closed the road at the junctions with Horden View, Coverdale Drive and Gib Lane for a number of hours.

That was to allow the emergency services to treat the woman, investigation work to be carried out and the council's highways staff to clear a fuel spillage from the tractor and to remove the vehicles.

One eyewitness said: "The car was in a right mess. This could have easily been fatal for both people involved."

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: "We're got a call at 7.50am yesterday morning to reports of a collision in Brokenstone Road, Blackburn, involving a tractor and a car. A patient was taken to Royal Preston Hospital with a major trauma. She had injuries to her ankle and hip/pelvis."

A spokesman for the fire service said: "Two fire engines and crews from Blackburn and colleagues from Chorley with specialist equipment and skills for dealing with road traffic collisions involving heavy commercial vehicles responded to the call from the police.

"A casualty was trapped in the car and firefighters used hydraulic equipment to rescue her and she was taken to hospital by ambulance. To conclude, firefighters cleared up a fuel spillage from the road."

Blackburn with Darwen Council declined to comment.