A Luton woman is furious after discovering a “potentially lethal” metal barrier, similar to one which ripped through her car in 2012, had been left to hang over a road in Stopsley.
Sharon Whooley, 47, of Round Green, narrowly escaped serious injury when an unsecured metal barrier smashed through her car as she drove along the access road to the former Luton Regional Sports Centre in August 2012.
The unlocked pole had been swung out to face the road and proved difficult to spot as it was end on.
As it smashed through the car the barrier struck Sharon on the back of the head causing a cut and swelling, though the 47-year-old admits the incident could have left her “severely maimed or killed”.
Her car was also written off in the smash.
After revisiting the site for the first time since the crash Sharon has discovered that another barrier has been put on the road, but it remains unsecured and a danger to drivers.
She told Herald & Post: “I find it incredible that this is potentially lethal situation exists.
“I was lucky to walk away from what happened to me so you would think that the barrier would be locked back or taken out altogether.
“I was fortunate as my car is quite low down, for anyone driving a normal car it would have hit them in the chest.
“Instinct made me crouch forward and the barrier went out of the side of the window behind me.”
Sharon added that it is not only motorists who need to be wary of the barrier.
She said: “Alot of teens go up there on mopeds or bikes and it can also be really dangerous for them.
“I was lucky that at the time I was going slowly, if it was a boy racer it could have been so much worse.”
A council spokesperson said: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
“The barrier seems to have been vandalised again, so we will be welding the height restriction barrier in the closed position and the lower barrier in the open position to stop this situation recurring.”