Two people airlifted to hospital after scooter collision

Two people were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after a scooter collided with a pedestrian in Stafford, causing traffic chaos.

Newport Road was closed off by police following the accident, causing tailbacks for hundreds of drivers through the town.

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Two helicopters were scrambled to the scene and landed on the bowling green at nearby Victoria Park.

A 17-year-old female pedestrian who was crossing the road from Tesco towards the town park and a male scooter rider in his 50s, from Stafford, were airlifted to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The scooter was travelling along Newport Road from its junction with Station Road, heading towards the town centre.

Yesterday's crash was close to the junction with Station Road, where previous concerns about safety have been raised.

Sarah Davidson, spokeswoman for Staffordshire Police, said: "We were called to reports of a collision in Newport Road at 1.35pm.

"This involved a black Piaggio Vespa scooter, which was in collision with a pedestrian.

"The scooter rider suffered head injuries and was airlifted to hospital.

"The female pedestrian also suffered injuries and was also airlifted to hospital."

Officers closed off the road between Station Road and the entrance to Tesco.

It reopened by 3.40pm.

Shopkeeper Paul Dhanda, who runs Paul's Newsagents in Newport Road, arrived at work shortly after the dramatic scenes were unfolding.

"The Newport Road is really busy, and it was closed off, which means traffic coming towards Stafford was being sent on a diversion by the station," he said.

"There were about three or four police cars there and an ambulance, and two air ambulances also landed at the park."

In March last year, work was carried out close to the Tesco junction and concerns have in the past been raised over safety there, despite changes to the road layout, including a new dedicated right-turn lane into the Tesco store and changes to pedestrian crossing points.

But fresh calls have now been made to review the area following yesterday's collision.

Councillor Christine Baron, representative for the Forebridge ward, who has previously raised fears about the stretch of road, said: "They have changed the layout of the road there but obviously it needs to be looked at again.

"It is such an awkward area, not just for drivers but for pedestrians too, and it really does need looking at again."

Police are appealing for witnesses to the accident to contact them on the non-emergency number 101.