A PENSIONER has been airlifted to hospital after being involved in a collision with a bus on Stockton High Street – the third incident in three months.

The 78-year-old woman was injured at around 1.30pm today at the junction known as Maxwell’s Cross.

She was flown to Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital by the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

Miranda Lynch, who works in hairdressers Additional Lengths near the incident site, said accident and near misses are becoming a weekly occurrence.

“It’s getting ridiculous,” she said. “It is becoming a weekly occurrence that someone is coming into the shop and telling us someone has been knocked over or there has been a near miss.

“The problems started when the road layout was changed – people don’t seem to know what is happening on the roads now. I have seen buses driving through the crossing when it has been on green for pedestrians.

“We have started a petition calling for changes because it is just getting worse and worse by the day.”

A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance Service said the pensioner was unconscious when the crew landed. After an initial assessment the patient was flown to hospital for treatment.”

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said the road was closed for 30 minutes to enable the helicopter to land in the town centre.

She said: “The incident happened at 1.36pm and the air ambulance landed just before 2pm when we closed the road which remained closed for around 30 minutes until the lady was taken to hospital.”

In September, a 28-year-old woman died following a collision with a bus.

Kelly Marie Evis, of Stockton, was injured on the town’s High Street opposite Ropery Street at 11.05pm on Monday, September 15, and died two weeks later in James Cook University Hospital.

On October 21, another woman was taken to hospital after suffering serious injuries after being hit by a bus on Stockton high street.

The 32-year-old Stockton woman sustained multiple injuries after being knocked down at the spot known as Maxwell’s Corner at 4.50pm.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call Cleveland Police on the non emergency number 101.