Crewkerne families regularly hit by vehicles on perilous school run

People in Crewkerne have called for action after a number of parents and children have been hit by vehicles on a narrow stretch of road.

Families have told ITV News the school run has become dangerous because of how perilous that part of the walk on North Street has become.

The road to Ashlands Church of England Primary School is also one of the main routes in and out of Crewkerne up to the A303.

Somerset County Council has said it is happy to work with the local community to improve safety.

Parent Kayleigh Butler said she knew of at least a dozen incidents of parents or children being hit by vehicles on the stretch in the last year. She has also been hit herself.

Some sections of the pavement are particularly narrow

She said: "I was walking up that corner with my children. They were in front of me and two cars met - they’re trying to go through and I got clipped on the shoulder by a wing mirror.

"It’s really not a very nice experience. It’s very painful, you’re left sore, swollen, [thinking] 'should I go to A&E? But I need to take my kids to school.'

"It’s not nice, it’s really not nice, and you’re then worried walking to school thereafter because you think ‘am I always going to be hit?’ It’s very nerve wracking going to school, it really is."

Another parent, Kimberley Cosby, said: "I’ve been hit by a wing mirror, my husband’s been hit by a wing mirror, a child’s been knocked over by a gush of wind from a lorry that was speeding up the road. Something needs to be done before someone does get killed."

Julie Chant came to the school on North Street as a child and now helps to promote safer walking routes as part of the group 'Space for Crewkerne'.

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She said: "The pavements are basically exactly the same as they were fifty years ago but the volume of traffic and the number of people - it’s just incredible.

"The problem has been going on forever. There must be something that can be done.

"No matter how small it might seem, if it makes an improvement then it’s worth doing because with no improvements you’re just continually putting people at risk."

Whilst this narrow road does have a 20mph limit during school pickup and dropoff, the lights on the signs weren’t flashing the morning ITV News visited - there is also no crossing.

Responding to what the families said, a Somerset County Council spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear about the concerns raised and strongly urge incidents like these are reported to the police.

"We are happy to work with the school, councillors and local community to see how we might improve safety on what is a challenging, narrow main road.”