A MAN has been arrested after a woman was left with serious head injuries following a late night hit-and-run.

The collision happened in Accrington, just before midnight on Sunday, when a 31-year-old woman was hit by a car as she was getting out of a taxi close to Sydney Street on Burnley Road.

The driver of the car failed to stop and drove off from the scene.  A Peugeot 307 was later recovered by police and is due to be forensically examined.  Following the discovery of the vehicle, a 38-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of Monday morning on suspicion of drink driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He remained in police custody today.

A spokesperson for the police said: “A woman is in a serious condition following a collision in Accrington in which the driver fled the scene.

“We were called shortly before midnight to reports a pedestrian had been hit by a car as she climbed out of a taxi on Burnley Road, close to the Spar.

“She has been taken to Royal Preston Hospital with head injuries and her condition is described as extremely serious.”

The road between Bradshaw Street East and Sydney Street was closed for five hours while collision investigators attended.  Geoff Gough, who lives in Burnley Road, heard the commotion of the crash and said by the time he got out onto the street there were quite a few people attending to the victim.

Mr Gough said: “My wife heard a bang so we go up and went outside and she was laid in the road. Someone else had already called the ambulance and there were about five people on the street tending to her.

“This is a very busy road but it’s quite unusual for something like this to happen.”

Michael John Seager, who also lives in Burnley Road, said: “It was about 11.30pm and I’d come downstairs for a smoke and saw the flashing lights. I didn’t know what was happening until this morning, but I hope the woman is OK.”

Sgt Andy Ainsworth, of the Lancashire Police Tac Ops Unit, said: “This collision left a woman with some very serious injuries and I would appeal to anyone who saw the collision itself or who may have dashcam footage to contact us as soon as possible.”  Anyone with any information that could assist the police should call 101, quoting log number 1643 of March 17.