DOCTORS and residents have teamed up to call for the speed limit to be lowered on a stretch of road where one person was killed and another seriously injured.

In January 2008, Betty Ashley, 85, of Courtenay Road, Wantage, was killed in Mably Way, Grove, after a collision with a green Citroën Saxo car at a pelican crossing.

On January 21 this year, a young woman was involved in a collision with a car outside Mably Way Health Centre.

It was only through the quick intervention of Dr Phillip Ambler that the woman, who suffered life-threatening injuries, survived.

Medical staff at the centre want the speed limit along the half-mile stretch of road reduced from 40mph to 30mph.

Dr Ambler said: “I heard a car screech to a halt and a thump at the traffic lights. A young woman was unconscious.

“Staff at the centre feel the speed limit needs reducing. There are a number of vulnerable people — mothers with children and elderly residents — crossing that road.

“We think it would be safer for them if motorists were travelling at 10mph less.”

Since January 2001, there have been four collisions in Mably Way, which runs between Denchworth Road and Grove Road.

A number of measures are being considered by Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority, to tackle the problem.

They include bright yellow reflector boards behind the traffic lights at the crossing, signs highlighting the medical centre, and road markings at the centre entrance.

The road already has an anti-skid surface and sensors that prevent the traffic lights from changing to red if a car approaches at more than 35mph.

Oxfordshire county councillor Jenny Hannaby said: “I am hoping we can come up with some positive steps to ensure people can use the crossing safely. We have had numerous complaints about the difficulty for people crossing the roads.

“All the other roads around Mably Way are 30mph.

“We need to look at this seriously before there is another accident.”

Fellow county councillor Zoe Patrick said: “We have got a busy medical centre entrance and people have said they find it difficult trying to turn right out on to Mably Way as they have to cross the path of oncoming traffic.”

Don Summers, 67, of Hawthorn Crescent, Grove, said: “As motorists come from Denchworth Road along Mably Way, the road curves and there is a large hedgerow that sticks out.

“Motorists are unable to see the pelican crossing until quite late on because of these visibility obstructions.”

Geoff Chown, of Mayfield Avenue, Grove, said: “Something has to be done, but it has got to be the right option.”

In September 2004, a car which was travelling at speed to evade police, swerved to avoid a pedestrian and hit a lamppost.

In July 2005, a car was approaching the A338 roundabout with stationary traffic in the inside lane. The driver failed to see a pedestrian crossing between the vehicles and there was a collision.