A CAMPAIGNING councillor has called for action to tackle an accident blackspot “before someone is killed”.

Langham Road and Severalls Lane, in Boxted, Colchester, serve as a carriageway for many drivers to access the A12 from rural villages to the north of the town.

But Boxted councillor James Collitt says the country lanes are too narrow and poorly maintained to handle such a high volume of traffic.

He also says he has witnessed the aftermath of numerous accidents at a narrow bend in Severalls Lane.

Firefighters and an ambulance crew reacted quickly to release a casualty from a vehicle on Friday morning after a car left the road and ended up in a ditch.

The patient was taken to Colchester General Hospital for further treatment.

As a short term aid to the problem, Mr Collitt is calling for the hedgerow to be cut back to provide drivers with a clearer view of the bend and oncoming traffic.

He said: “I live in Boxted and travel to Braintree every day, naturally I have to go along that road to get to the A12.

“Over the past two years I have lost count of the amount of times I have seen cars in the ditch, having spun out or crashed.

“It is a constant problem.

“I have repeatedly reported the issue to Essex Highways, but nothing has been done.

“It is a very narrow road and because hedges are so high there is no line of sight going around the corner.

“Drivers don’t see the bend until the very last minute.

“Will it take someone getting killed before action is taken?”

Mr Collitt fears the latest blueprints for a sports complex, to be delivered as part of Colchester Council’s Northern Gateway development, show access connecting the site to Severalls Lane, near to the accident blackspot.

He expressed serious doubts over the additional pressure any access point would heap on the already-busy route.

“Any access would come out directly onto this hotspot,” he said.

He added: “You can imagine when it’s all finished the amount of extra traffic this would generate.

“There will be a huge problem there if the road goes unchanged.”

“It needs to be addressed in the short term and then money must be spent on a long term solution.”

In September, a teenager was flown to hospital with serious injuries after a two-car crash at the same bend.

The road was closed while Essex Police carried out an investigation.

An Essex Highways spokesman said: “Colchester Local Highway Panel is working with Boxted and Langham Parish Council to look at potential safety improvements to Runkins Corner, on Severalls Lane.

“The next step is to assess the results of a traffic survey measuring the numbers and speed of vehicles on the road.

“Trees and hedges here are not owned by Essex Highways and options are being reviewed for dealing with these.”