Calls to lower speed limit on Leeds Wetherby Road as girl fights for life after crash

The girl, 12, is today in a critical condition in hospital after being hit by a car on Wetherby Road, Seacroft, at about 6.30pm yesterday.

Coun Brian Selby (Killingbeck and Seacroft, Labour) said he is now contacting Leeds City Council's highways department to look at the possibility of reducing the speed limit on the road, currently 40mph, to 30mph.

The serious collision with the young pedestrian yesterday involved a Vauxhall Corsa, which was travelling from the roundabout A58 Junction onto the A6120 Ring Road in East Leeds.

Coun Selby told the YEP: "This is a very busy junction and there is a case for looking at the speed limit and I will take that to the highways department."

He said his thoughts were now with the girl who was injured in the crash and her family.

Coun Selby also said traffic on the road should ease once the planned East Leeds Orbital Road is developed in the future.

He added: "I am conscious as someone who drives in and out of the ward I know that it's a road that is heavily used and there's always a danger that cars will come to the junction at some speed.

"Some years ago that area was the ring road was a 60mph speed limit.

"One of the things that I did many years ago, when the council got control of the limits from the Highways Agency, was to get the speed limit reduced to 40mph.

"There may well be a case now for looking at that speed limit again."