Waltham Abbey campaigners demand action against speeding after car destroys street light
Essex Highways say they take speeding "very seriously"
Campaigners are demanding action to cut speeding, after a car destroyed a street light, leaving part of the lamp lodged in the vehicle.
Ninefields in Waltham Abbey is “like a race track” due to “dreadful” speeding and must be tackled by the local council, say angry residents.
They even claim four people have died over the last few decades and that council works to reduce speed are “vital.”
In the latest crash, which happened on Monday (June 1), a car had part of a lamppost skewered through its roof after colliding with it. The car was left resting in a nearby hedge.
The pictures also show other posts knocked out, with debris across the pavement and verges.
Resident Martin Stevens said: “I’ve lived here for more than 30 years, and four people have died in crashes in that time on a 30mph road. Sunday afternoons are like having a grandstand seat at Brands Hatch.
“We need some traffic calming. On Monday, speeding once again caused the big accident. It was lucky that no one was standing at the bus stop or worse, school kids on the path.”
Dozens of other residents are also calling for change and insisting Essex County Council must do more on the issue. They also claim they have been demanding action from the council for many years.
A mother-of-two, 35, who asked to remain anonymous, added: “People and animals are in danger every day, we have families and older people who are also at risk. Something must be done now before more lives are lost.”
A spokesperson for Essex Highways said it’s aware of speeding concerns and “takes road safety very seriously.”
The spokesman added: “Speed enforcement is managed by Essex Police, while speed prevention is managed by Essex Highways. If we identify a clear pattern of collisions during our investigations, engineering measures will be put forward for design and funding.
“We don’t currently have anything planned for Ninefields; however, a new zebra crossing on Broomstick Hall Road is planned for later this year.”