MAJOR safety improvements must be made at a crossing where a girl was hit by a car, according to councillors who branded it an “accident waiting to happen”. 

Isla Dodo, three, was hit by a car and “thrown from her scooter” while using the crossing on Ashingdon Road, Rochford, last week close to Holt Farm Junior and Infant Schools. 

The crossing was installed as part of the construction of 660 new homes as well as the pavement being narrowed to create a new access point.  

All smiles - Isla Dodo has bounced back from her scary experienceAll smiles - Isla Dodo has bounced back from her scary experience (Image: Lily Alden-Smith)
Now councillors and Isla’s mum, Lily Alden-Smith, are calling for improvements before “another child is hit by a car”. 

Lily said: “Something needs to be done on that part of the road because the more houses that are built, the busier it’s going to be.

“It would be great to see a lollypop lady put outside the school or even changes to the speed restrictions”.

Rochford councillors claim they have warned Essex County Council of the risks faced by pedestrians using the footpath and crossings near the Holt Farm schools. 

The section of Ashingdon Road has been significantly altered to accommodate the new housing developmentThe section of Ashingdon Road has been significantly altered to accommodate the new housing development (Image: Google Maps)
Non-Aligned councillor for Hawkwell West Ward, Julie Gooding, said: “We’ve been unhappy with the narrowing of the footpath ever since it was first proposed. I don’t think we should be putting our children in danger. This is just one accident and there could be many more.”

Isla suffered a concussion and bruising during the crash and was taken to hospital. 

Mike Webb, non-Aligned councillor for Hawkwell East ward and a parent of a child at Holt Farm Junior School, added: “I’m glad the child is okay, but this has sadly been a danger we’ve long warned about. The reality is there’s just too many people jammed onto that one stretch at peak times.”

An Essex Highways spokesperson said: “We were very sorry to hear about this incident and are liaising with Essex Police. Our Road Safety Engineering Team carries out reviews of all collisions resulting in injury across the county to draw up potential road safety improvements and present them for funding for the next financial year. 

“To maximise resources, we must consider locations with a clearly identified collision patterns provided by police. We encourage residents to raise safety concerns with their Essex County Councillor, who can raise them for action as needed.”