Concerns over a notorious Bolton road have been raised again after an 89-year-old woman was struck by a vehicle in what police are treating as a 'hit and run'.

Emergency services were called to Moss Bank Way in Astley Bridge at around 10.15am to reports of an elderly woman lying in the road. 

The woman who suffered serious injuries and she remains in stable condition in hospital where she is being treated for wrist and knee fractures.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) says its investigation so far suggests the woman became injured while she was a pedestrian crossing Moss Bank Way at the junction with Hill View Road.

It is then thought a vehicle struck her as it turned left out of Hill View Road onto Moss Bank Way.

Police say, during the collision, the woman was knocked to the floor and the driver of a silver or grey-coloured SUV failed to stop and proceeded to turn left, driving westbound on Moss Bank Way, in the direction of Moss Bank Park.

Although this incident is now the subject of a police investigation, there have been a number of crashes on Moss Bank Way, with the latest incident leading to renewed calls for action to improve the road.

Cllr John Walsh said residents in the Astley Bridge area have been raising concerns about the  Moss Bank Way for some time and urged anyone with information on this incident to contact police.

He said: “I think the major concern raised to councillors is about vehicles which are speeding along Moss Bank Way, with some well in excess of the speed limit.

“There are various limits of 40 and 30 miles per hour on that road and it can be particularly busy when traffic is coming from the Tonge Moor end from Blackburn Road towards Smithills and some drivers seem to accelerate.

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“You do have crossings for pedestrians at the Asda junction and particularly if you have a lot of elderly people who live across the road, there is an issue about the crossings not being where people want to cross.

“Where the crossings are it is quite a long walk if they have to walk to either the Asda crossing junction at Blackburn Road or further along to the pelican crossing near the junction with Barclay Road.

“It is a problem because there is no safe crossing in the centre of the road, so sometimes pedestrians have to make a dash across three or four lanes of traffic at a busy junction.

“It is a concern, it has been raised with engineers and traffic and road safety teams in the past.

“Unfortunately, the junction is such that because there is an existing pelican crossing at the Blackburn Road junction and then one about 150 yards along, for an elderly person, and I don’t know the circumstances for this woman, but for an elderly person coming from Asda with their shopping, it is a wide junction on a busy road, so I understand the concerns that have been raised by residents on many occasions to have an additional crossing.

“Clearly if anyone has any information whatsoever then they should have no fears of contacting the police as a matter of urgency and as a priority as it is such sad circumstances and is clearly a concern to everyone that whoever was culpable, the driver needs to be found for the road safety of others.”

Police are asking people who were in the area at the time and saw anything to contact them.

Anyone with dashcam or mobile phone footage that could support the investigation, shold call 101 quoting log 1049 of 15/06/2024.

Information can also be shared using the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk or via 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on X @chloewjourno.