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Drivers fume at main road closure
Tuesday 15th December 2009, 11:30AM GMT.
This is the scene of a minor accident, and the car at the centre of it, that led police to close a major road for more than two hours during the rush hour.
The Audi A3 is seen parked in a bus lane after it struck a three-year-old girl on a crossing of the busy A449 Stafford Road in Wolverhampton.
Despite the girl being in hospital, police blocked a section of the route causing miles of tailbacks as alternative routes were clogged up.
Click here to see more pictures from the incident.
Drivers were angry at sitting in miles of queues after the 3.50pm crash before police reopened the road between McDonald’s island and the roundabout near Strykers after 6pm.
Michael Weston, a 39-year-old IT worker of Cannock, said: “It took ages to actually get to Stafford Road and it looked busy when I turned on to it as it normally does. But as soon as I got on to road it was clear that nobody was moving.
“It took around an hour to get to the McDonald’s island and then all of the traffic was turned around and sent back towards the city.”
Suzie Fothergill, of West Midlands Ambulance Service, said the girl had minor head injuries. Police today said she was in stable condition.
Road Policing Unit Sergeant Steven Hopkins from Bilston Street police station, said: “We are confident the Wolverhampton public would fully understand why a thorough investigation was carried out into the collision, especially as we were dealing with a three-year-old girl with head injuries.
“Fortunately it later emerged that her injuries were not life threatening, but crash investigators have just one opportunity to preserve a scene and gather vital evidence as the family of anyone involved in a collision would expect.
“The closure of roads lasted only around two hours, which given the involvement of air ambulance paramedics and our officers is not an unduly lengthy time.”
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You mindless idiots! the police have to map out exactly what happened to see if it was the driver that was at fault in case he needed to be charged for careless or dangerous driving! What kind of reporting is ‘There was barely any damage to this Audi A3 after it struck a three-year-old girl’ hows about we are greatful that the girl is alive? I suggest that if it was your little girl in the accident you would want the full picture of what exactly happened! So get on with it and queue like the rest of us! Idiots!
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Weds Wolf, I could not agree more with you. If the queuing people were relatives of the injured girl, they would be kicking off if police had opened the road, which would stop their investigations etc…And, E & S whats with the pictures? If that little girl had died, how sad would it have been to show photos, really need to think about how your reports affect some people.
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Typical lazy small-minded E&S reporting. Let’s moan about the council, the government, the police etc. Complaints about traffic, parking, recycling bins always appeal to the mindless masses.
How much damage would you expect a 3 year old to cause to a car – absolutely cretinous comment. The writer of this rubbish should be named and shamed.
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Well said Wolf!
Sadly this is just typical and symptomatic of today’s ‘me me me now now now’ society, i’m betting MOST of the drivers in traffic wouldn’t hesitate to use their mobiles to talk about this week’s X-factor whilst driving so it shouldn’t be too hard to ring ahead and let people know you’re going to be late! hardly rocket science!
I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if the accident was caused by that very same attitude….. most are!
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Erm Wednesbury Wolf…..
It was a minor accident, minor head injuries and insignificant damage to the car (for what it matters, it’s covered by insurance anyway).
Have the police gone mad? To cause such disruption for a minor incident was totally out of proportion.
They caused more damage and disruption by closing the road (missed appointments; hospital, professional or otherwise, raising stress levels etc.) than the incident itself.
Ok, the girl and her parents would have been upset, but she is fine, thank goodness.
What was actually gained by closing the road and was it worth the hassle caused?
Is it a case of megalomaniacal police powers?
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couldnt agree more 1. what a pointless and poorly thought out piece of journalism. disgraceful.
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Have to agree with 1. I am so pleased the car was not damaged too badly after hitting someone that was ON A CROSSING.
I can appreciate the pain a road closure causes but as an accident investigator myself -it takes about 45 mins to photograph and detail the scene of an accident. Plus the time it would have taken the investigator to get to the scene, so two hours is not beyond question.
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Was the car on the road? Yes
Was the girl on the footpath? No
Did the car run a red light or a zebra crossing?
Those are the only 3 questions that should ever need to be asked.
If its no then the accident wasn’t the drivers fault. Its the girls fault or if she’s too young to know any better then its whoever was looking after hers fault.
That’s how it works in America and Europe so why do we have to be so petty about it.
Why should drivers be at blame if a kid runs into the road.
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