A COUNCILLOR has called for urgent safety measures on a Blackburn street after a FOURTH crash in 18 months.

In the latest incident a driver swerved onto the pavement and wiped out a concrete post outside a house on East Park Road, Shear Brow.

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Blackburn with Darwen Council have confirmed it is working on plans to introduce safety measures on nearby Lilford Road, which links on to East Park Road, but not at the end of the road where the crashes have happened.

And Cllr Hussain Akhtar, who lives just off East Park Road, said that action needs to be taken immediately.

“Something needs to be done before somebody is seriously injured or even killed,” said Cllr Akhtar.

“One of the neighbours up there contacted me and said if their son was playing outside he could have been in a serious accident.

“One thing I don’t understand is why people are going fast. We need speed cameras, zebra crossings or the police to do mobile speed patrols.

“On this road we have children going to play in Corporation Park and we have St Mary’s College and schools nearby. Sorting out this road is a priority.

“Pedestrians need to be protected and I get calls all the time about the speed that cars go on the hill.

“I know the council is having meetings at the moment and now I’m just waiting to hear back what they’re going to do.”

East Park Road has become notorious for accidents over the last 18 months.

In February 2014 residents had to be evacuated from their homes after a car ploughed into a wall during a police chase and caused a gas leak.

Whilst last October a woman was airlifted to hospital after being trapped under a car, then on the same day a lorry driver failed to stop after ploughing into cars and causing thousands of pounds of damage. And earlier this year a driver had a lucky escape after crashing into a lamppost.

And in the latest incident which happened on Saturday afternoon a car ploughed into a resident’s wall to narrowly avoid crashing in to the back of a car which had stopped to give way to a vehicle coming up the hill.

Resident Yousaf Khan, whose daughter’s car was damaged on the road by a the hit-and-run driver, said: “I have seen cars going at 80mph or 90mph on a 30mph road. I don’t know if we need a speed camera or a pelican crossing, but something needs to be done before somebody is killed.”

Cllr Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s highways boss, said: “CAPITA have done a lot of work and have put together a proposal which they’re hoping everyone will be happy with.

“I’m trying to arrange some kind of meeting with CAPITA and ward councillors will have a look at the proposals and come up with something that is acceptable to everybody.

“The proposals are particularly to do with Lilford Road and that area of East Park Road. I am not aware that there is anything in place for the the top of East Park Road.”