A BLACKBURN woman has died and her passenger is seriously injured after their car crashed into a wall.

The silver Honda Civic was heading along the A682 Bury Road towards Rawtenstall when it went straight across a roundabout at the junction with New Hall Hey business park.

It left the road and smashed into a stone wall on the outside of an industrial building, coming to rest down a steep embankment.

The driver, who has been named as 28-year-old Shabana Aslam from Blackburn, died at the scene and the front-seat female passenger, aged around 21, suffered head, arm and leg injuries. She is in a ‘serious but stable’ condition at Fairfield Hospital, Bury, police said.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident which happened at 6pm on Sunday in thick fog.

The road was closed for around three hours to allow accident investigation to carry out their work.

Pete Davies, who works nearby, was at the scene on Sunday evening. He said: “It looks like the car has taken off and speared into the wall about 10-12 feet up.

“The impact knocked a hole right through the wall and the cladding off the building.

“I think the road layout is to blame. People come off the motorway there which is 70mph, on to Bury Road, and suddenly the roundabout is there.

“The rumble strips don’t work as you don’t feel them and I’ve seen many a car clip the roundabout.

“Just last week a lorry almost overturned. And it was very foggy on Sunday night. It’s a real tragedy.”

Sgt Mick Young said: “I would appeal for anyone who was in the area and witnessed what happened to come forward and contact police.

“Understandably this is a difficult time for the families involved and we have specially trained officers supporting them.”

Contact Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.