A SIX-year-old boy who was struck by a car on a 50mph stretch of a busy dual-carriageway has led to the installation of improved pedestrian safety measures.

He suffered serious head and leg injuries and was placed in an induced coma after being hit as he walked along the A66 slip road near Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium.

The incident, which happened in late April, saw the lad placed into the medically induced coma at the roadside by a doctor-led trauma team from the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

He was taken to the James Cook University Hospital via road ambulance where it was found he had suffered a fractured leg, facial injuries and cuts and grazing after being struck by a Peugeot 207.

The area around the A66 eastbound carriageway includes a footpath for pedestrians to walk to a range of new pubs and restaurants built near the Riverside Stadium.

However, a two-metre high fence to protect those using the path has now been put up to protect them from the road which is used daily by thousands of lorries and commuters.

Councillor Lewis Young, Middlesbrough Council’s executive member for economic development and infrastructure, and ward councillor for North Ormesby, said: “Fortunately serious accidents are relatively rare on Middlesbrough’s roads.

“However, we can never afford to be complacent and, understandably, this latest accident has led to local residents asking for more safety measures alongside the A66.

“I’m pleased that, after raising the issue with our highways department, we have been able to extend the fencing on this busy stretch of the A66, as this will help to prevent incidents in the future.”

The six-year-old is believed to have been hit by the car around 50 metres west of the North Ormesby slip road at 4.15pm on Saturday, April 22.

He had been walking near the North Ormesby junction which had become a problem area for motorists and pedestrians, particularly on Middlesbrough Football Club match days during the 2016/17 season.

An increase in the number of residents travelling from the Trinity Mews area and surrounding estates had also caused safety concerns after new pubs and restaurants were built as part of a development near the Riverside.

However, a campaign to crackdown on motorists pulling off from the A66 to park on grassland surrounding the junction was successfully carried out by Middlesbrough Council and Cleveland Police earlier this year.

A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: “Around 165m of two-metre high fencing has been extended along the westbound carriageway, following the previous fencing that existed near the Trinity Mews area.

“The fencing will prevent direct access onto the A66, and improve safety for residents and commuters using the footpath to the south of the road.”