RESIDENTS today called for traffic lights to be installed at a junction where a woman was killed in an horrific smash.

Mini driver Rita Bull, 54, of Eton Close, Padiham died yesterday after a collision with another car.

She worked as a packer with one of the companies on the Rossendale Road industrial estate, Burnley, near to where the accident happened.

Sgt Eric Marshall said she was apparently driving her red Austin Mini Mayfair out of the Coal Clough Lane junction into Rossendale Road when it was involved in a crash with a blue Ford Mondeo travelling up the hill from Accrington Road towards the Manchester Road junction.

The Mondeo driver, Peter Riley of Burnley Road, Cliviger, suffered from whiplash and bruising to the chest. He went by ambulance to Burnley General Hospital and was allowed home after treatment.

Residents said there had been several accidents at the spot in the last few years and called for action to be taken.

Mrs Bull died at the scene where she was examined by a rapid response doctor.

Both vehicles were damaged at the front and the road was closed for about three hours.

Firefighters made the vehicles safe and traffic was diverted around the junction while officers carried out a fatal road accident investigation. PC Alan Stuart said there had been a few accidents at the junction, which is close to St Hilda's RC High School, over the years but it was not a site that had caused particular problems because of the good sight-lines in both directions available to motorists.

The accident happened right outside the home of Sandra Carlile.

She said: "There have been at least four or five accidents outside my house in the last dozen years.

"Twelve years ago one came into my wall and knocked down the front of the house."

She added: "This time I was in the living room when I heard a loud clunk and then saw another accident had happened right outside my front door.

"I don't know what happened in this accident but problems seem to be caused in general by traffic coming down the steep hill having trouble in stopping and with the two ways in and out of the junction."

Mrs Carlile added: "The accidents are always in the same place right outside my house.

"It is a busy area and I think they need traffic lights or something at this point."

Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash which happened yesterday at 12.30pm.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the road policing unit at Colne on 01282 472431 and to leave information for the investigating officer PC 1894 Carl Anderson or contact the main police station, Parker Lane, Burnley, 01282 425001.