Reports of ‘small child’ rushed to hospital after being injured in crash as car ‘slammed into fence’

A ‘small child’ was rushed to hospital after being injured in a crash on a main road in Westhoughton on Sunday afternoon (June 16).

There are unconfirmed reports that the child, understood to be a young girl, was hit by a vehicle along Wigan Road. Police and paramedics attended the scene and blocked the road in both directions.

Greater Manchester Police are yet to confirm details of the incident, but locals also claimed that a car appeared to have been hit by a fence on the side of the road.

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Images taken from the scene showed traffic police in attendance, along with an ambulance with the road closed for several hours while investigations were carried out.

Former councilor Anna-Marie Watters, who lives nearby, said she saw the scene minutes after the collision and a large vehicle mounted the curb and crashed into a fence on the opposite side of the road.

She has spent 25 years campaigning for road safety measures along Wigan Road and previously succeeded in changing the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph.

“I saw her as I was coming down the road. I was on the left hand side, like going into Hindley,” she said. “You could see a large Range Rover type car and it was in the fence on the opposite side of the road. It looked like he crossed the road and mounted the curb.

“I have campaigned on this road for 25 years. When I moved here it was 40km/h and I threatened to stop it because of the number of accidents.

“It’s such a massive road; we hear how fast they go all night, every night. There’s been a lot of accidents here and they’ve changed the bollards so many times because cars keep hitting them.”

Westhoughton South councilor David Chadwick also confirmed Manchester Evening News that a young child was believed to have been involved.

Further details on the condition of those involved or the full circumstances of the incident have yet to be confirmed. Greater Manchester Police have been contacted for comment.