CALLS for safety measures have been made after the latest crash at a notorious accident blackspot left a pensioner fighting for his life.

A 64-year-old man suffered a heart attack while driving his blue Renault Clio and crashed into a building in the Crooked Mile, Waltham Abbey, at about 8.15am on Tuesday, May 3.

The man, who lives in Waltham Abbey, was given emergency resuscitation by paramedics before being taken by helicopter to Lister Hospital in Stevenage where his condition is described as critical.

The accident comes almost three months after a collision between two cars on the same road left 27-year-old Leonard Hurst and 20-year-old Natalie Wiggins dead.

Phil Baldwin, who is assistant manager at the Wheatsheaf Pub in the Crooked Mile, said: “I passed the crash site on my way in to work this morning. The front and windscreen of the car were completely smashed.

He said that he believed the road was particularly dangerous because cars travelling at the 60 mph speed limit easily lost control on the sharp bend beyond the roundabout where Crooked Mile meets Abbeyview and Parklands Road.

“The crash was exactly on the bend. It would not surprise me to see this again.

“Drivers should be taking more care down there and I think there should be a lower speed limit between the roundabout and bend to encourage drivers to go slower.”

Kevin Raby, 52, lives in Sewardstone Road which meets Crooked Mile.

He said: “I heard all of the alarms first thing this morning and thought ‘that will be the Crooked Mile’.

“There are not enough police officers on patrol so it would not make a difference if they tightened up the speed limit. If there were more police down there they would have more control.”

Police want to speak to a female driver of a silver Mercedes who stopped at the scene but did not leave her details.

Any witnesses are asked to contact the Chigwell roads policing unit on 0300 333 4444.