Islington Tribune - News: Blackspot claims another victim

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Islington Tribune - by JAMIE WELHAM
Published: 10 August 2007

The accident blackspot at the junction of Caledonian and Hillmarton Road

Blackspot claims another victim

Three held after accident at notorious junction leaves 63-year-old with spinal injuries

A 63-YEAR-OLD man was left with serious spinal injuries on Friday afternoon after a collision at a notorious Caledonian Road accident blackspot.
The father-of-two was crossing at the busy junction with Hillmarton Road when a car allegedly hit him.
Witness Pauline Gardener, 62, said: “I heard a loud bang and I went to see what was going on I heard him screaming in pain.”
As the victim, from Essex, lay in the road, workers from nearby businesses rushed out to help him while the car allegedly drove off.
Although a fast-response paramedic was on the scene within minutes it took a further 25 minutes for an ambulance to arrive and take the man to hospital.
Savvas Savva, 35, a worker at the nearby Ford garage, said: “When I went outside there was a crowd around the man.
“There was blood all over the road. He had his feet in the air writhing with pain. It seemed like ages before the ambulances turned up.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: “At that time there were five ambulances running out of Islington station, however it was a particularly busy afternoon and they were all attending other emergency calls at the time.
“As soon as one became available, an ambulance arrived at the scene 25 minutes after the original call, stabilised the patient and took him to hospital.”
He was given oxygen at the scene before being taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead where he was treated for spine and neck injuries.
Witnesses said the car was travelling south down Caledonian Road before it turned into Hillmarton Road and allegedly hit the man.
It is not clear whether he was on the pedestrian crossing when he was hit.
One alert driver, Lewis Pirez, managed to take down the number plate of the car and chased the driver into Hungerford Road before losing the car.
Inspector Dave Toms, from the Euston Traffic Garage, said: “The car has been seized by police for forensic examination.”
Residents said Friday’s accident is the latest in a long line at the blackspot.
Gemma Holbert, 22, from Hillmarton Road said: “It doesn’t surprise me that it happened around here. People don’t look when they’re driving round that corner.”
Three men have been bailed to return to Islington police station over failing to stop at the scene of an accident pending further inquiries.

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