A FAMILY suffered a double tragedy when a heavily pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed in a road accident.

Jeanette McKenna, 33, of The Copse, Accrington, died after her car went out of control in Blackburn yesterday morning.

She was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to hospital, where doctors battled in vain to save her unborn baby.

The accident happened on Shadsworth Road at about 7.30am when the car, a Peugeot 205 GTI, crashed into a bollard before hitting the pavement 100 yards further up the hill and ploughed into a lamp post.

Emergency crews were called to the scene and the driver's body was released from the car by firefighters.

The road was closed for several hours while police carried out accident investigations, and it is expected it will be several days before the investigation is complete.

Sgt Stuart Isherwood, of the road policing unit at Accrington said the road had been gritted and was clear of snow and ice and the cold weather was not believed to have been a cause of the crash.

Police have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the crash or was in the area at the time to come forward.

One local resident, who heard the crash, said: "I heard a loud bang and ran out to see what was happening and saw the car next to the lamp post. It looked very serious.

"We've had several accidents on this stretch of road, especially with people driving too fast."

Charles Mills, Liberal Democrat councillor for Shadsworth ward, said the road would have been gritted as it was a bus route, but conditions were not helped by the volume of traffic passing along it, although it does have a lot of traffic calming measures.

He said: "I am very, very sorry to hear that a lady and her baby have lost their lives there. It is a terrible thing to happen at any time of year, but it is particularly appalling at this time."

There have been several serious accidents on Shadsworth Road in the last two years. In July this year a grandfather from Blackburn was knocked off his motorbike by a speeding car and in February 2000 another motorcylist was seriously injured near his home on the road.

Anyone who witnessed yesterday's crash or who can help police is asked to contact the road traffic policing unit at Accrington on 01254 382151.