LORNA MARSH A deadly stretch of the A47 has been the scene of yet another serious crash just one week after it was announced traffic campaigners had won a major victory in their battle to introduce safety measures.

LORNA MARSH

A deadly stretch of the A47 has been the scene of yet another serious crash just one week after it was announced traffic campaigners had won a major victory in their battle to introduce safety measures.

The single carriageway between Norwich and Dereham has seen eight people killed or severely injured over the past six years, and has a serious accident rate about twice that of similar A class roads nationwide.

Bereaved friends and relatives have tirelessly fought for traffic calming measures at the junction on Mattishall Road at Honingham.

Cars leaving the busy junction often have to cross two lanes of 60mph traffic, with about 23,500 vehicles using the stretch of road every day.

And last week campaigners were thrilled when Norfolk County Council and the Highways Agency yielded to pressure and approved a £2m scheme to build a roundabout at the junction, even bringing it forward a year.

But celebrations have been short lived after a serious car crash this afternoon saw the road closed and accident investigators prepare to work late into the night.

Police were called to the scene at around 3pm after a member of the public reported two cars had been involved in a collision with large amounts of debris littered across the carriageway.

When emergency services arrived they immediately closed off the road and summoned the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Earlier this evening a police spokesman said: “There are quite a few units at the scene. It has been a serious accident.

“One person's condition is described as life threatening. The two cars are currently being removed. The road is still closed and diversions are in place and will be for some time.

“Accident investigators will be working through the night.”

It is hoped the road will be open tomorrow morning.

tA man was killed on another stretch of the A47 when his car left the dual carriageway and overturned in a field.

The man, in his 60s, was driving a burgundy Skoda Octavia taxi on the A47 towards Norwich when it left the dual carriageway at Postwick and overturned onto its roof.

He was declared dead at the scene.

No other passengers were in the car.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident which happened at 10pm on Friday and are particularly keen to speak to anyone who saw the car between Brundall and Postwick before the accident.

t Contact PC Alan Russell at the Central Area Policing Unit in Wymondham on 0845 456 4567.