Almost 200 people have signed a petition set up by a group of worried mothers after members of the public rescued an 11 year-old boy from beneath a car.

The young cyclist, who remained in hospital on Wednesday, was plucked to safety by a group of bystanders who worked together to rescue him after he became trapped following a collision with a car.

Rescuers have described the sound of "a thud and the wheels going over the bike, and then the scraping noise of the bike being dragged", and estimated that he may have been dragged as far as 10metres.

Wimbledon Times:

Emergency services attended the scene 

The mothers said there have been a number of near-misses in the area and are now calling for safety measures to be introduced to prevent another accident.

Merton Hall Road, which sits between Dundonald and Wimbledon Chase primary schools, is frequently used by both school children and commuters.

Local mothers have begun a petition to make Merton Hall Road safer for children during rush hour, which has already received almost 200 signatures in a week since the crash at about 8am on Wednesday, September 30.

Hero pedestrians lifted car to rescue trapped boy in Merton Hall Road

UPDATED: "Boy was dragged 10 metres down the road" says witness to crash near Wimbledon Chase station

Tiffiny Aasen, of Toynbee Road, Wimbledon, and Rebecca Moses, who lives in The Quadrant, Wimbledon, launched the petition shortly after the latest crash, calling for stricter enforcement of 20mph speed limits and safer crossings.

They want to put bollards on the pavements at the roundabout to stop vehicles mounting the kerb, or having a lollipop person to help children cross.

Ms Aasen said: "It’s been a wake-up call. We have a chance to do something to make sure another child isn’t hit.

"At school-run time this area is absolutely packed with little kids."

She added: "Wimbledon prides itself as a family-friendly area where people come to start their families. Please make it safe for us."

Witnesses have described how a group of bystanders worked together to rescue the young cyclist. Thomas Standfield, 29, was on his way to work in St George's Road, Wimbledon, when he came across the terrible aftermath of the collision.

Wimbledon Times:

The boy's bicycle and rucksack remained at the scene, and a shoe was visible under the car

He described how women lay on the ground trying to speak to the boy, while a plank of wood and a car jack were used to attempt to lift the car.

However, he was concerned that the wood was not strong enough to hold the weight of the vehicle, and the jack was taking too long.

He said: "I yelled to a few people to help lift the car. It’s a bit of a blur."

"Someone helped him out carefully. I don’t even remember putting the car down. We realised how serious it was. It was bad. It looked really bad."

He added: "I don't want any praise for this. It wasn't just me. There were a lot of people helping and any one would do that. 

"The car needed to be lifted so we did it. We did what we could do."

 

Police are appealing for witnesses. Call police on 020 8543 5157.

To view the petition, visit: https://petitions.merton.gov.uk/epetition_core/community/activepetitions