A COMMUNITY is in shock following the death of an 85-year-old woman in a crash yards from her care home.

The woman, named locally as Pat, is known to have been a resident of Colten Care’s Avon Reach Care Home nearby.

She was a familiar face in the local community, as was the 94-year-old driver of the BMW involved in the collision.

The crash, which happened on Friday afternoon, involved the BMW, a parked car and the pedestrian.

CCTV from a nearby newsagent’s shows the BMW pulling away. Moments later, it is seen reversing past the shop towards the point where it collided with the parked car.

A meeting of Stanpit and Mudeford Residents Association (SAMRA) on Friday evening discussed the collision.

County and borough councillor Lesley Dedman said both the driver and the woman who died were known locally.

She said: “We’re all really heartbroken to hear about what happened. SAMRA sent all its good wishes to the families and to the driver, who must be absolutely devastated.

“Words can’t express it.”

Cllr Dedman was among those who have left flowers at the scene.

All three emergency services were called to Mudeford at 2.30pm on Friday after the crash happened near the parade of shops next to Farm Lane. Police have appealed for witnesses to the accident, which closed the road for around six hours.

Although speed is not believed to have been a factor in this collision, local people have voiced concerns about speeding and unsafe parking there.

Ballam Ramssamy, owner of Burys Newsagents nearby, said: “It’s a 30mph speed limit but people are always driving 40-50mph down this road.

“My son is 13 years old and when he wants to go the beach he has to ask me to cross the road with him. Sometimes I see people waiting for about two or three minutes before they can cross the road.

“People often park on the yellow lines and the road is very narrow as it is.

“I think the council should make the speed limit 20mph or introduce a speed camera. I have spoken to my local MP and councillor about it, they've been in my shop, but nothing has been done.”

Cllr Dedman said: “Residents have been constantly asking the police to do speed checks and the problem is when the speed checks are done, everything seems okay. The residents find it a bit confusing that we see people speeding but the police tell us there’s no speeding.”

She has said she will lobby the police again over the issue and has asked for speed checks to be done at different times.