I WAS travelling on East Lancs Road, Manchester bound, behind an articulated lorry, on Wednesday, August 21, at about 4.45pm.


Just before the junction of Wigan/Billinge near to Moss Bank, I couldn’t believe what I witnessed.

Around eight teenagers were on the central reservation, then they started to run across the road, in the path of the articulated lorry. 


The lorry driver had to brake, honking his horn for them to get out of his way. 


First a boy ran into the road, and his antics as he sprinted across obviously amused his friends, as about three or four other teenagers (girls and boys) followed him. 


It must have been terrifying for the lorry driver. I myself also had to brake as I thought a tragedy was about to happen. It must have left the lorry driver very shaken. 


It is in the same spot where a 12-year-old child was killed a few years ago. She ran across the road, lost a shoe and when she ran back to retrieve it was hit by a vehicle and killed. 


I seem to remember at that time there was a campaign by local residents for the Council to improve the roadway to make it safer for people crossing. 


When will these children learn? 


I am a resident of Billinge and travel this route quite often, almost always incident free, but this was absolute stupidity.

Barbara Goldsmith