A MOTHER remained critically ill in hospital last night following an accident which saw her car leave the road and collide with a tree.The accident happened on the A134 at Honey Tye, near Leavenheath.

A MOTHER remained critically ill in hospital last night following an accident which saw her car leave the road and collide with a tree.

The accident happened on the A134 at Honey Tye, near Leavenheath. It is believed a toddler in the car, who was understood to have been in a child seat at the time of the crash, was taken to hospital but escaped without serious injury.

Police are now appealing for witnesses to the accident, which happened on Friday at around 5.50pm when the woman's blue Renault Clio left the road and collided with the tree, to contact them.

They are particularly keen to trace anyone who saw a pink Wellington boot in the roadway at the time of the incident. It is not clear whether this boot may have distracted the driver.

Insp Steve Griss, of Suffolk police, said: "A pink Wellington boot was found on the road surface near to the collision scene.

"We are appealing for witnesses to the collision, or anyone who saw the Wellington boot on the road surface - which stood out quite a lot - to contact us."

Ambulance crews initially took the injured woman to Colchester General Hospital, where she was treated in the intensive care unit.

She was later transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, and her condition is still understood to be "critical."

No further details about the injured woman have been released.

A spokesman for Suffolk Fire and Rescue service said crews from Sudbury, Colchester and Hadleigh had attended the crash scene, and spent around 40 minutes releasing the woman and her child from the wreckage.

The road was closed while emergency services dealt with the accident, and diversions carrying traffic away from the scene were put in place.

Witnesses to the incident should contact Pc Gooding at the force headquarters traffic unit, on 01473 613730.