By Liz HearnshawA 16-YEAR-OLD girl was fighting for her life in hospital last night after she was badly injured in a horrific road crash.The teenager was walking along Turnpike Road in Red Lodge, near Mildenhall, at about 7.

By Liz Hearnshaw

A 16-YEAR-OLD girl was fighting for her life in hospital last night after she was badly injured in a horrific road crash.

The teenager was walking along Turnpike Road in Red Lodge, near Mildenhall, at about 7.45am yesterday when she was involved in a collision with a van.

It had been involved in a collision with a Ford Fiesta and the impact of the crash caused the Renault panel van to leave the road and collide with the teenager.

The girl, who is believed to live in the Red Lodge area, was taken to the West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, where she was undergoing treatment last night for “life-threatening” injuries.

Community leaders called for safety improvements on Turnpike Road, which they claimed was in desperate need of resurfacing.

Angela Sewell, who represents the area on Forest Heath District Council, said: “I have written to Suffolk County Council and told them it is about time something was done before it gets worse.

“The road surface it is so uneven that the top layer has come off in some places and it is causing damage to people's tyres because it is in such a bad state.

“When the development in the village is complete, alterations should be made to the road as part of that building work. Hopefully, then it should be more like a village road instead of the main road it is at the moment.”

Red Lodge Parish Council chairman, Sonia Clarke, said villagers would welcome any improvements to the road.

“The road is a concern as it has always been nasty. It is very wide and is so straight that we have had trouble with speeding in the past,” she added.

“The amount of traffic Turnpike Road still carries is quite a worry and lorries start coming down there from 6am onwards.

“As part of the plans for the village, developers are going to narrow down the carriageway and put in several roundabouts, which would certainly improve the road.”

A spokesman for Forest Heath District Council said major traffic-calming proposals were included within the village's development scheme, which would see new homes and community facilities provided.

She added a legal agreement was in place that stipulated when the works must be carried out.

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said there were no safety schemes planned for the area.

He added: “We will work with the police on the accident investigation and if anything comes out of it, we will look at the road.”

Anyone who witnessed the collision should contact Bury St Edmunds traffic police on 01284 774100.

liz.hearnshaw@eadt.co.uk