Road gets 20mph cap after incident

RECOVERING at home . . . Marleigh after her ordeal

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THE road in which a five-year-old girl was hit by a car just yards from her grandmother's front door will soon have a 20mph speed limit.

The Chronicle reported on Tuesday how Marleigh McGiffin-Whitehead was visiting her grandmother in Randolph Street, Limeside, at around 5pm last Friday when she ran out into the road from behind a parked vehicle and was struck by the car.

Neighbours called an ambulance and the Higher Failsworth Primary pupil was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital, where she was treated for a fractured left leg.

Marleigh will now have to remain in a full leg plaster cast for six weeks.

Since then, her family have called for traffic calming measures and signs on their street, which they said is used by motorists as a shortcut to and from Hollins Road.

Although there have been no recorded road traffic accidents on Randolph Street since 1999, the incident prompted a swift response from Oldham Council.

Councillor Fida Hussain, cabinet member for environment services, said: "Firstly, our sincerest sympathies go out to the young person and their family. We hope for a speedy recovery.

"Oldham Council has already looked into traffic measures in this area. After recent consultation, Randolph Street will soon become part of a wider 20mph zone.

"According to our data there have been no recorded road traffic accidents along Randolph Street since at least 1999.

"The vast majority of all road traffic injury accidents that take place in the area occur on Hollins Road, which is the main route through Hollinwood.

"This unfortunate incident appears to be an isolated event and so further traffic calming measures are not deemed necessary.

"Although there is not a road safety issue at this location, we will continue to monitor it.

"Should the situation change, measures will be presented to the council for consideration."