Renewed calls for road traffic safety shake-up in Datchet after woman pedestrian, 76, is seriously hurt

The injured woman has been named locally as Jane Lynch, of London Road. She is understood to have been crossing soon after 7.30pm on her way to catch a train when she was involved in an accident with a vehicle.

An emergency call made at about 7.40pm brought an ambulance, a paramedic team leader in a rapid response vehicle and the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance to the scene.

The air ambulance landed on the nearby village green and the village was closed off.

After initial treatment at the scene, Mrs Lynch was flown to the major trauma unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. She is understood to have suffered a fractured left arm and spinal injuries.

This week Datchet resident and parish councillor Pamela Barnes-Taylor remembered how she and her colleague - former mayor the late Cllr Tony Griffiths - has battled unsuccessfully over a long period of time for better safety measures in the village when they were both Royal Borough councillors more than 30 years ago.

The level crossing is sandwiched between two mini-roundabouts, only yards from the busy main junctions of Horton Road and London Road.

Cllr Barnes-Taylor said: "We were told then that we could not have a pelican crossing because there had not been an accident which I always found ridiculous - now this has happened."

Former mayor Cllr Jesse Grey represents the village on the Royal Borough and is lead member for highways on the Parish Council. He said: "I'm very concerned and will be awaiting the full report on what happened.

"If there is something we can do as a council to make it safer we will be looking at that."

In the Bridge Cafe - the popular tea room run by volunteers on the Green where the accident happened - the call from people there on Tuesday afternoon was for a Pelican crossing that would show a clear red light when someone was crossing.

One resident said: "There has been a need for this for ages."