A major police hunt is under way for the driver of a BMW who fled the scene last night leaving his front seat passenger dead – and a second passenger with serious injuries in a crash on the Norfolk-Cambridgeshire border.
Cambridgeshire police are trying to locate the BMW driver - also thought to be injured - involved in the fatal crash at Branch Bank, Littleport, last night.
The driver, a man in his 40s and from Ely, made off from the scene following the collision which involved the BMW he was driving and a blue Ford Focus and happened at around 9.45pm.
The front seat passenger in the red BMW 325i, a man in his 20s from Kent, was killed in the crash,
Another man, the back seat passenger of the BMW, received serious but not life threatening injuries and was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where he remains in a serious but stable condition.
The driver of the Ford and a child and toddler received minor injuries.
Sergeant Mark Dollard from the road policing unit said: 'We believe the driver of the BMW is injured and our primary concern is for his welfare.
'I urge anybody with information about his location to get in touch.'
•Anyone who witnessed the collision or has information about the driver of the BMW is asked to contact the road policing unit on 101, quoting incident 560 of June 1.
Many residents believe the road has become an accident black spot and one of the worst in the county.
Parish councillor Geoff Norman said: 'Several of us have had a go at highways with little success.
'I think there has been six cars off the road there in the last fortnight; normally it averages at least one a week off the road there.'
Gavin Haggart said: 'My wife went into the ditch on that second corner heading towards Queen Adelaide and most definitely wasn't speeding. 'The policeman that attended advised they have spoken to highways many times requesting they resurface that corner using the grippy road surface but the requests fall on deaf ears.
'Yes, I do realise that there are many speeders down that road but not everyone thinks they're speedway drivers.'
Another resident said the accident last night 'has taken out the first fence and also the hedge and fence further down. It's made a real mess.
'I feel sorry for the people who live there. They can't use a big chunk of their garden already and I would be afraid if it was mine to let my kids use the rest. Something really needs to be done.'
Another resident said a neighbourhood speed watch group had recently carried out a survey along the New River Bank which leads into Branch Bank. Of 153 vehicles checked, 14 were travelling at 46mph in a 40mph zone – the fastest was clocked at 60mph. A quarter of all vehicles were travelling in excess of 41mph.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here