A St Ives man has called for a pedestrian crossing on a busy town centre road after his mother died following an accident on Saturday.

The Hunts Post: Meadow Lane, St Ives,Meadow Lane, St Ives, (Image: Archant)

Joan Shrubb, 88, of Needingworth Road, St Ives, was heading into town on her mobility scooter at about 10am when she attempted to cross Meadow Lane and was in a collision with a blue Volkswagen Polo.

Mrs Shrubb, who moved to St Ives from London in 1988, suffered a head injury and was taken to Hinchingbrooke Hospital. She was later discharged but later lost consciousness and was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where she died the following afternoon.

Her son Richard Shrubb, 56, also of Needingworth Road, St Ives, is now calling for a pedestrian crossing on Meadow Lane to enable safe crossing.

“This is not about the blame and whose fault this is, it’s about providing a safe crossing for pedestrians,” Mr Shrubb said. “It’s a very busy road and is dangerous for people trying to cross.

“If people want to avoid crossing there, they have to walk around to the Chinese, through town and around which is too long.

“This was totally unnecessary. My mother was fit as a fiddle and went shopping every day, she liked the independents in town, so she would have used the crossing every day.”

He added: “The crossing is dangerous. People have to decide whether to try and dodge traffic or wait for ages. It wouldn’t make much of a difference to traffic as at rush hour, vehicles are stationary. It just makes a difference for pedestrians.

“The mobile home park in Needingworth Road is for people aged over 50 so a lot of older people use the crossing to get into town or go to the doctors. There are also families who need to use it to get to the doctors.

“It may also help stop people rat-running down Needingworth Road.”

Mr Shrubb said: “This has come as a total shock to me as I got a message to say she had been injured in an accident. Then for her to come out of hospital and go back in and not to see her again.

“The crossing could be her legacy.”

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends involved in this tragic accident. A police investigation is ongoing and it would be wrong of us to comment on any cause of an accident until that is completed. We will, with the police, look at those findings and see, if anything, the authority may be able to do.”

“In the last six years there have been no other reported injury accidents to pedestrians in this area however there has been one reported injury accident involving two vehicles.”