RESIDENTS living close to a controversial Kingsteignton junction have spoken out after a three- vehicle pile-up on Monday afternoon. The crossroads where Exeter Road, Ley Lane and Longford Lane meet was last month altered to include four-way traffic lights, a yellow box, pedestrian crossings and restricted parking. The parish council and many villagers had said they did not want the £80,000 scheme but Devon County Council claimed it was essential to improve safety for schoolchildren. But after years during which no-one can recall any accidents at the junction, residents say there have been several near misses and that Monday's collision was inevitable. According to eye witnesses, the traffic lights had failed and the woman driver of a Ford Fiesta, believed to be from Cornwall, approached the junction along Longford Lane and was then involved in a collision with a Skoda Fabia driven by an Exeter Road resident and a Piaggio van driven by an Exeter man. Airbags in the two cars were deployed and debris from the vehicles was scattered across the road, the Fiesta ending up on the pavement, narrowly avoiding the front wall of a house.

Police were soon on the scene, diverting traffic and trying to keep pupils from Teign School away from the crash scene. All three drivers appeared shaken but were able to walk from their vehicles with no visible injuries. Exeter Road resident, Guy Fogwill, told The Advertiser: 'This accident just had to happen. I've lived here for 20 years and there's never been a problem until these lights went in and now there's been at least three close shaves and then this.' Hospital worker, Rayson Mwaro, lives just yards from the junction and he said the lights changed too quickly when they were working and that pedestrians had to wait too long to cross, most children just crossing at will. 'I think the lights have actually brought more problems,' he said. 'We've lost parking, the lights don't work and children aren't bothering to use the crossing.' Cllr Joan Lambert called on the county to urgently review the junction and claimed the layout was dangerous. 'I'm terrified someone will be killed there,' she said. 'People are scared to walk across the road now as cars are speeding up to make the green lights and there are no signs saying when it's safe to cross. 'What's more, I've seen pupils from Teign School walking along and bouncing footballs as they cross right through the middle of the junction.' A spokesman for Teign School said the majority of pupils were using the new crossing and that they were now more confident when crossing the road. A brief statement from Devon County Council in relation to the junction said: 'The traffic signals were repaired by our contractors yesterday once the fault had been reported to us but preliminary indications show the accident wasn't related to the lights.' A public meeting has been called by Cllr Lambert for March 29 at which she intends to invite comments on the junction.