CALLS have been made for traffic calming measures in a village high street after a car crashed into a parked vehicle and overturned.

An 18-year-old woman had to be released from the wreckage by firefighters, after a silver Vauxhall Corsa car with ‘P’ newly-qualified driver plates collided with a blue Audi A4 beside Dean Forest Cycles in Parkend.

The teenager was taken to hospital, but an ambulance spokesman said her injuries were not thought to be serious.

The family of the young woman later told the Review the car was fitted with a black box speed recorder which showed the vehicle was not speeding at the time, and Gloucestershire Police have confirmed they have 'no further involvement' in the incident.A family spokesperson said: "Her car is fitted with the black box provided and fitted by the insurance company to ensure that she was not speeding." Pedestrians and people relaxing at the cycle centre café, including the owners of the parked vehicle who were eating an ice cream, looked on in horror as the accident happened shortly after 4pm on Monday (April 1).

Emergency services rushed to the scene and police closed Whitecroft Road and New Road while the incident was dealt with.

Gloucestershire Council installed intermittent double yellow lines along the road in February, although the parked car involved in the crash was reportedly parked legally.

Residents say the current road set up and speeding drivers are “an accident waiting to happen” on the narrow road, and have now called for safety improvements along the busy route, which also has a lot of cyclists and pedestrians, including children attending a Scout hut and Deanfield Studies Centre.

Sue Brown posted on the Forest of Dean and Surrounding Areas Road Watch Facebook site that she wasn’t surprised by the accident.

“All the cars parked along that road, should be double yellow lines right down from crossroads, (it’s an) accident waiting to happen,” she said.

James Bevers added: “Totally agree. The cars don’t slow down to 30mph. I go this way every morning, it’s an awful spot.”

Becky Breeze said: “I take my son to Beavers at the lodge opposite the cycle centre and cringe at the people parked outside – can’t see round them at all. Should be double yellows.”

And Shaun Drew labelled the road outside the cycle centre and shop “dangerous.”

Dean Forest Cycles owner Angela Clayton told the Review: “Part of the road in front of us has double yellow lines, although I understand the car in the accident was legally parked.

“I don’t have an issue with the existing double yellow lines in front of our premises, as we don’t want cyclists going onto the road through parked cars, but I’m not sure if more of them along the road is the answer.

“The parked cars all the way along used to slow the traffic, so when the council put in the intermittent double yellows they should have put in other traffic calming measures, as there are now more speeding cars.

“The current parking situation has created other issues, and we could do with some sort of traffic calming such as speed humps or a flashing speed reminder, as cars come hurtling from Whitecroft at 50mph to 60mph and don’t slow down.

“Accidents happen, but if people adhered to the 30mph limit the situation would be safer, so perhaps a 20mph limit is also needed.”

Ward councillor Alan Grant (UKIP), who lives on the road, backed the calls for more traffic calming measures.

“I don’t think the partial double yellow lines all the way along have helped, but essentially some people drive too fast on a narrow road with a bend,” he said.

“We’ve been urging highways to do something for a long time, and my biggest concern is there are a lot of children and families who walk and cycle in the street, including visitors from the Whitemead holiday centre.

“It’s busy road for a small village, and the highways experts need to consider further measures.”