PARENTS are calling for a crossing patrol after an eight-year-old girl was knocked down by a car on her way to school this morning.

It was Alicia Ogden’s second day back at Acorns Primary School on Pooltown Road after the summer holidays.

She was walking with an umbrella and had to squeeze through the cars parked at the side of the road before she was struck at about 8.45am today (Thursday, September 6).

Fortunately, she escaped with bruises and cuts, including one on her head which had to be glued together at the Countess of Chester Hospital, and is now recovering at home in Waverton Road.

The accident has led to calls for action from parents, many of them through the Pride in the Port Facebook group, who want a crossing patrol or more severe parking restrictions, and to get the message across to people that parking near the school is putting children’s safety at risk.

Alicia’s mum, Andrea Ashcroft, 42, told the Standard: “Alicia has only got cuts and bruises, and had to have an x-ray and her head clued, but she is very shaken up. She is only small and had her umbrella up and she couldn’t see over the cars.

“We are not blaming the lady who was driving the car, far from it. She was driving slowly and jammed on her breaks. She was very shaken up. In a way I am glad it was her as some people drive so fast down that road. If it was one of them, Alicia would not have had a chance."

 

'Still smiling!" Fortunately Alicia escaped the accident with cuts and bruises

Andrea added: “The school does have to teachers out telling people not to park on the lines outside the school but it is a real issue – a little boy was hit by a car last year so it is not the first time.

“It is only happening at school times – if you went there at any other time there would be no cars there. But when I talk to parents they all say people shouldn’t be stopping there and something needs to be done.”

Andrea said she will be talking to Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Justin Madders about the issue.

 

Home time at The Acorns Primary School in Pooltown Road today

Gary Walker, on Facebook, blasted the people parking near the school, saying: “To all those idiots and lazy b******s who think it’s a good idea to park on the white lines/corners of Pooltown Road and the crescent remember this, because of your actions you’ve directly caused a innocent little girl from my boys class to be hit by a car!!

“I hope you’re proud of yourselves as it’s your actions that caused this. I won’t speak what I want to say to those people as it would offend

“Hope she is ok as our kids seen the incident and were upset by it. Love to the girl and her poor mum and hope they’re all ok! My heart goes out to all the family and their distressed siblings.”

Caroline Deborah Reeves added: “I also live very close and Thank you for highlighting this situation, over the years I've seen a few accidents outside the school.”

And Jane Murray said: “Pooltown Road is lethal, sadly this isn’t the first and won’t be the last because the road is impossible, all the parents rushing to send their kids to school have that on their minds and its park/squeeze through and into any gap they think they can then traffics bunched up because nobody can pass and everybody’s still in the same rush to get in, get out no matter what. “Double yellow lines all the way down one side of the road (school side) might be a help to keep at least one side free, council putting up cameras and fining people for ignoring might also help.

“I hope the child will be ok, and all witnesses don’t have nasty flashbacks from it.”

 

The Acorns Primary School

Many suggested a lollipop lady should be situated on Pooltown Road.

Some suggested the patrol on Regent Street, which they say is barely used, should be moved closer to the school.

Andrea, thanked people who had helped Alicia at the scene of the accident and Pride in the Port members who were calling for action.

She said: I just wanted to say thank you so much to all the people who assisted with the incident and all the well-wishers.

“My daughter Alicia is ok and home from hospital with few cuts and bruises, shaken up obviously, I also want to say I hope the lady who was driving is ok too, we definitely need a crossing patrol put in place and I am looking in to how to make this happen to save more accidents from happening.”