CALLS have been made for new speed restrictions to be introduced after a car flipped onto its roof in a crash on an estate.

Police were called to Forest Road, in Greenstead, Colchester, on Saturday shortly before 5.50pm, to reports of a collision between a Peugeot 107 and a Mercedes A160.

Three ambulance crews arrived to the scene where they found the Mercedes overturned in the middle of the road.

However, its occupants had left the scene before police arrived.

On-lookers said it looked as though the drivers of the two cars had been racing along the road, which serves the 1A and 64A bus routes, when one of them hit the pavement.

Forest Road was temporarily closed while the emergency services worked on the casualties and the scene.

One onlooker said: “I was informed by police the two had been racing and it was when one of the drivers tried to overtake the other, the car hit the kerb and flipped over.

“One man was in the road being attended to and then taken off to hospital. Another was sat against a wall with a neck brace on being attended to.”

She added: “There have also been incidents of men riding motorbikes around the area on footpaths, but also going over grass areas at high speeds near the parks which could be fatal for pedestrians and children.”

Three patients were taken to Colchester General Hospital for further treatment. Their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Colchester councillor Julie Young (Lab) has said Greenstead councillors are keen to explore measures which will tackle speeding motorists.

She said: “The speed in Forest Road has been raised in the past and the road lends itself to higher speeds, particularly down hill and the bend is an issue.

“Finding a viable solution is tricky because it’s a bus route so a 20mph speed limit wouldn’t be adopted.

“A speed warning sign might help and as councillors we can investigate this as well as looking into initiating a speed watch in Greenstead.”

Witnesses or anyone with information about the crash are being urged to contact police on 101.

A spokesperson for Essex Police confirmed inquiries were on going.