Mum calls for pedestrian crossing in London Road after 13-year-old son walking to school collides with car

The mum of a 13-year-old boy who was hit by a car while trying to negotiate a busy junction on his way to school is calling for a pedestrian crossing to prevent a more serious incident.

Max George was walking to Birchwood High School from his home on the St James’ Park estate on the morning of Friday September 13 when the collision occurred.

His mum Ashley said he had walked down Whittington Way and had got to the central island at the junction, in the middle of London Road.

On seeing that cars waiting to turn right into Whittington Way had stopped, he thought those in the inside lane, heading towards Sawbridgeworth, would also be halted by the traffic lights and went to cross.

As he did so, he was struck by a car and was flung onto its windscreen.

Luckily, he suffered only minor injuries and, although the concerned driver urged him to wait for an ambulance, he accepted a lift from a passing motorist who took him home.

Ashley told the Indie the family had only been in their new home for a month after moving from Stansted and Max was not familiar with the roads in the area.

“He had been cycling [to school] but had decided to walk that day,” said Ashley, who said her son was very lucky not to be more seriously injured.

“He put his arms up to protect his head and the driver swerved to the left to try to avoid him,” she said. “He suffered bruising to his back and was very shaken by it all.

“I’m very surprised there’s no pedestrian crossing there.”

Ashley said that with lots of families moving into the new estate there were people who did not know the road layouts.

“No one knows how these roads work,” she said. “There should be a safe place to cross.”

She stressed she did not blame the driver, who was travelling at below the speed limit. “Max was in the wrong – the driver was great,” she added.

The Indie contacted highways authority Hertfordshire County Council but did not get a response.

However, Cllr Graham McAndrew, the Herts county councillor for Bishop’s Stortford Rural, told the Indie: “Thank you for informing me of this unfortunate incident. I am relieved to hear that the student sustained only minor injuries.

“I will ensure that this junction is revisited, as I have previously expressed concerns about the safety of pedestrians at this location.

“With the increasing foot traffic from the St James’ Park estate, it is vital that pedestrian safety at the London Road and Whittington Way junction is thoroughly reviewed, and I will raise this matter again with the appropriate authorities.”