A little Chef cook told today how she fell victim to an "absolutely lethal" gap on the A64 near York - and amazingly survived to tell the tale.

Little Chef cook Janet Bird holds up a Close The Gaps petition form at the Bilbrough Top gap where she has seen some "absolutely loony drivers"

Janet Bird spoke out after the restaurant at Bilbrough Top gave the Evening Press' Close the Gaps campaign a big breakthrough, agreeing to put petition forms on the counter for scores of customers to sign.

Qualified support also came from the nearby McDonalds takeaway, and from York MP Hugh Bayley, who has written to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott about the gap in the central reservation at Bilbrough Top.

Janet, 19, of Holgate, York, said her accident happened late one night a couple of months ago after she had finished a shift at the Little Chef and was returning home through the gap.

"It was dark and raining. I looked carefully and thought nothing was coming. I didn't see him at all."

A car heading along the A64 hit the side of her car, fortunately behind the driver's door, sending it spinning round across the gap towards the York-bound carriageway.

Janet emerged from her vehicle with blood pouring from her head, and was treated at York District Hospital for a little hole in her skull. "They 'glued' it up until it grows back," she said. "Both cars were written off. When I saw the wreckage the next day I just cracked up crying. I just couldn't believe I got out of that car alive.

"I won't use the gap now in any circumstances," she said. "It's absolutely lethal. You see some absolutely loony drivers from here."

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for McDonalds has said that its customers can also sign the petition, which is due to be handed over to Roads Minister Lord Whitty this Friday. A McDonalds customer was badly burnt earlier this year after her car was struck and caught fire as she was returning to York through the gap.

The spokeswoman said the health and safety of McDonald's customers were its primary concern, and it would welcome and support "any appropriate measures" to improve safety.

Mr Bayley said: "I welcome the campaign by the Evening Press. It's vital that something is done to try to stop these terrible accidents at these gaps on the A64."

Time is running out for readers to sign our petition: please fill in the form and get it back to us by first thing Friday morning, so we can hand it over to Lord Whitty.

Support the campaign fill in the petition

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