Pensioner trapped in road 'thought she would die' (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Pensioner trapped in road 'thought she would die'

7:39am Wednesday 28th May 2008 in Columnists By Ella Pickover

IS Lye Lane the most dangerous road in the district?

We can reveal that a 76-year-old pensioner got her foot stuck in a pothole, was unable to move and lay stranded in the Bricket Wood lane - where there have been been 37 reports of damage to cars in just seven months.

The road has been branded a "disgrace and lethal" by motorists yet Hertfordshire County Council has still not repaired the numerous holes.

Shelia Harrison, who lives in Lye Lane, was walking home and got her foot stuck in the road.

She said: "My foot was wedged in this pothole. It was very frightening because I simply could not get free.

"There was no one in the lane at the time and I thought that it was going to be the end of me because I was right next to a bend and lorries come along so fast.

"I was stuck for half an hour, which is long enough, but it seemed like a lifetime.

"Luckily a man drove slowly around the corner and he spotted me - he thought I had been hit by a car and stopped.

"It was a nightmare, I was like a sitting duck."

In the Review's initial article last month Hertfordshire County Council claimed it had not received any reports of any incidents in Lye Lane but there have been 37.

Resident Joan Rudkin added: "The council may have said that about Lye Lane - but they paid me £123 for a new tyre around a year ago.

"It is diabolical that the council is not telling the truth.

"I have lost several tyres down this lane. The road is a disgrace.

"The council fills one hole at a time but the lane is full of them.

"We just want safe roads."

A number of appalled drivers, whose cars have been damaged, have also contacted the Review.

Many have received compensation for the damage to their cars "as a gesture of good will and with no admission of liability", while others are in dispute with the council over damage costs.

Hertfordshire County Council spokeswoman Jo Brown said: "We are always sorry to hear about accidents and encourage anyone involved to report the incident to us.

"Since 1 November 2007 there have been 37 reports of potholes on Lye Lane. On each occasion, contractors have been sent out to repair the damage.

"We are pleased to confirm that resurfacing work on Lye Lane is planned for May 2009."