A RESIDENT who heard a fatal crash has said the collision sounded "like an explosion".

Colleen O’Hara, of Waters Walk, a block of flats off Harrogate Road in Apperley Bridge, said she and her partner heard the crash in which a female driver died yesterday.

The victim of the accident was a woman in her 30s who has yet to be named by police.

She was driving a Vauxhall Astra which was in collision with a ford Focus parked on the side of Harrogate Road at 5.40 in the morning outside the Bridge Cafe.

Ms O'Hara said she had just woken up when the incident happened.

She said: “Me and my partner heard the crash.

“It was just like an explosion. We didn’t know what to think at first.

“There were about eight police cars and a helicopter circling really quickly.

“I was only just awake when it happened, I didn’t know what to think at first.

“It’s horrendous, it’s heartbreaking.

“It’s known for it, bad crashes, this road.

“I do think it’s really scary crossing this road (Harrogate Road) as a pedestrian. Especially the crossroads at Greengates memorial.”

Police are appealing for anyone with information about the crash to get in touch.

A police statement released after the incident said: "A black Vauxhall Astra travelling away from Bradford was in collision with a Ford Focus, which was parked on the road close to the junction with Parkin Lane.

"The sole occupant of the Astra, a woman in her thirties, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

"The collision is being investigated by the Major Collision Enquiry Team (MCET), who are appealing for witnesses. They would also like to hear from anyone who saw the movements of the Astra beforehand and anyone who may have dashcam footage which may assist the investigation.

"MCET can be contacted on 101.

"The incident reference is 13200312582."

Local residents and councillors contacted after the incident said that although the cause of the crash was not yet known, they had been concerned about the dangers of the major road between Greengates and Rawdon for some time.

This is not the first fatal accident on that stretch of road as in 2009 two women were killed when their car was struck at a spot very close to the latest incident.

Drink-driver Daniel Witter was jailed for 12 years for killing lifelong friends Janet Herd and Linda Tansley in a horrific high-speed car crash.

After yesterday's incident, Chris Frost, of Thackley, who was walking around the police cordon at Greengates memorial, gave his reaction. He said: “It’s a fast road. There should be more safety precautions in place.

“There have been so many bad crashes down this road (Harrogate Road). It has two lanes of traffic that go into one.

“I have lived here all my life.”

A resident of Ashgrove, a street near the crash on Harrogate Road, says the road is notorious for speeding vehicles.

He said: “It’s sad. There is a 30mph speed limit down there. With lockdown, people have been speeding up and down the hill, when it’s quiet.

“It’s really bad down there. It’s like an open road at the time of the day when the crash happened.”

Malcolm Goodall, of nearby Roundhead Fold, says Harrogate Road has become a beacon for speeding.

He said: “I heard loads of sirens down there this morning, but I wasn’t up when it happened “They have turned it into a race track.

“When I’m in my garden you can hear cars racing up and down. You see people speeding on the outside of that road.”

Another Ashgrove resident, a street off Harrogate Road, spoke of the often speeding traffic. She said: “There has been an increase in traffic down there over the last couple of years.

“There is some pretty mad driving down there (on Harrogate Road).”

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem/Ind, Idle and Thackley) expressed her shock at the news.

She said: "It's very sad. Our sympathies are with the family and friends of the deceased."

Cllr Sunderland stressed that it was early days and she could not speculate about the cause of the accident but said dangers on the road had increased over the years.

She added: "A number of local residents have raised concerns about the speed of traffic and about the difficulty of of negotiating the road in view of the new development.

"To prevent fatalities we should do more. There should be speed cameras."

She said the opening of the Apperley Bridge railway station had further added to the traffic on the road where there is what she called a "pinchpoint" across the river.

Cllr Julie Humphreys (Lab, Idle and Thackley) said: "It's an absolute shock, it's terrible. Naturally I send my thoughts and my sincere condolences to the woman's family and friends.

"Anybody who say anything should call MCET (Major Collision Enquiry Team).

"As a councillor I will be calling for a review of safety on the road.

"We do need to look into this. Even though the the restrictions have been reduced to 30mph you can't stop them."