Car crashes at roundabout just opened to try to stop accidents

NEW JUNCTION AT HOTSPOT HAD OPENED LAST WEEK

A NEW roundabout constructed at a notorious accident hotspot on the A6 has seen its first crash, days after opening to traffic.

The Kettering Road junction at Clack Hill, outside Market Harborough, had been the subject of safety calls stretching back decades.

Road safety campaigners finally got their way when developer Davidsons Homes agreed to undertake the work as part of planning permission agreed for a housing estate to the south of the town.

Opening last week, it was heralded as a significant improvement on the previous road layout.

Previously, drivers joining the A6 were forced to cross the path of oncoming traffic and the junction was the scene of several serious crashes over the years.

A pick-up truck veered off the carriageway and crashed through signs at the weekend.

The vehicle (pictured) appears to have climbed a roadside embankment before eventually coming to rest in front of a group of trees.

The driver was not injured.

A spokesman for the police said: “Shortly after 2am on Saturday, a driver reported being involved in a single-vehicle collision on the A6 in Market Harborough.

“The driver was not injured and informed police he would arrange recovery of the vehicle.”

More than 500 people signed a petition last year calling for an urgent overhaul of the junction.

Speaking last week, Harborough district councillor Phil Knowles welcomed the improvements.

“A lot of people have been involved in the campaign for this upgrade and improvements,” he said.

“It’s been ongoing for many years so I think there are a lot of people very pleased to see this finally come to fruition.”