Mum's plea for action after latest crash at accident blackspot

Six-year-old Jessica Bootes was just four when the left side of her skull was removed and she suffered paralysis and loss of speech in a five-car collision on the A194 near Lindisfarne roundabout, Jarrow, in March 2014.

Yesterday morning, another child was involved in an accident when a Ford Fiesta, two transit vans and a heavy goods vehicle were in collision.

A man driving the Fiesta and his passenger, a child, had to be cut from the vehicle by firefighters and were taken to South Tyneside District Hospital. Neither are believed to have been seriously injured.

Emergency services were scrambled to the scene at 10.24am and the westbound A194 Leam Lane, Perth Avenue and Edinburgh Road were sealed off by police for over an hour.

Jessica’s mum, Lisa Bootes, 33, has welcomed council plans for a safety revamp, but also made an emotional plea for drivers to be extra-vigilant until the improvements are made.

South Tyneside Council has plans to reduce accidents and congestion between the Lindisfarne and John Reid roundabouts.

The work, which is due to get underway in the next few weeks, will take a year to complete.

It will include widening both roundabouts and the dual carriageway, closing the Edinburgh Road exit to all traffic except buses and carrying out drainage work.

Mrs Bootes, from Centenary Avenue, South Shields, said: “To have another crash on the road is awful.

“A lot of people don’t understand the dangers on that stretch of road. We do, because of what happened nearly two years ago. Drivers have got to be more vigilant.

“It has taken a long while, but the council is doing their part, and now it is up to drivers to do the same.”

She added: “The planned improvements could potentially save someone’s life.

“I would like to think they could now be brought in sooner. There has been so many accidents that something just has to be done quickly. Someone could be killed.”

A South Tyneside Council spokesman said they would be unable to comment while a police investigation into yesterday’s crash was ongoing.

A Northumbria Police spokesman added; “A man and child were taken to hospital following a collision involving four vehicles.

“They are not believed to be seriously injured.”