Boy and woman struck in Birmingham hit-and-run crash

The pedestrians were struck on High Street in Kings Heath

A boy and woman were seriously injured when a car struck them on a pedestrian crossing in a hit-and-run crash.

The pedestrians were hit near Asda on High Street in Kings Heath, Birmingham, at about 08:50 BST.

The child was taken to hospital with serious injuries and the woman with head and leg injuries.

A blue BMW One Series, suspected of being involved in the collision, has since been found abandoned less than half a mile away.

West Midlands Police said they were carrying out immediate inquiries around the vehicle and who may have been involved.

Earlier, West Midlands Ambulance Service said the boy and woman were seriously injured and treated before being taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital respectively.

Most of the high street is shut as collision investigators continue working at the scene.

A car was found abandoned in Springfield Road, with police forensic teams in attendance

The road was very busy at the time, with parents taking children to nearby Kings Heath Primary School.

Head teacher Mark Court, wrote to parents confirming the boy was a pupil at the school.

Children who may have witnessed the incident "have been our priority today", he said.

"It goes without saying that our thoughts are with the child and their family at this time," he added.

Sarah Chaundler, 49, from the area, said that after hearing there had been a serious accident she went down to the scene, where "there was a bit of state of shock".

She added: "There was lots of parents milling around and I heard that children were very upset, understandably."

Sarah Chaundler said she was "very concerned" about the level of dangerous driving in the area

Ms Chaundler, from the Better Streets for Birmingham group, said she was devastated about what had happened close to where a 13-year-old girl, Hope Fennell, was killed when she was hit by a lorry in 2011.

The lorry driver had been texting on his mobile phone and now there is a permanent memorial, a white bicycle, to Hope.

Ms Chaundler said: "I'm very concerned as a resident of Kings Heath about the level of dangerous driving that we have on our streets.

"I would like our authorities... to work together to make our streets safe for people who are walking and people who are cycling."

Eyewitness Adam Georgiou said: "One of the tyres was literally all bulging out and the tyre was actually on fire and that was at the top of Poplar Road.

"He nearly hit somebody else and then drove off again, speeding down."

Rachel Segal Hamilton said she felt "really, really heartbroken" for relatives of the two people

Mother-of-two Rachel Segal Hamilton said: "It's a bit like the Wild West sometimes down here, people speeding around.

"I feel sick in my stomach... [I] just feel so angry that this has happened again on our roads."

She said she "kind of" terrified her children regarding road safety, adding: "When we're walking around, I'm continually telling them, 'Get back from the road, be careful, stop, look'."

Ana Maria Ciocirlan said she had been at home when she had heard a "big bang".

"It was really loud. When I came out a few minutes later there were a lot of police here," she said.

"This road is very busy and it's getting busier and busier because of all the road closures around here."

Police have thanked people for their patience while investigations continue

West Midlands walking and cycling commissioner Adam Tranter, said he had met with police earlier this week to highlight "ongoing unacceptable road violence".

He has been calling for a plan to boost safety after the deaths of two cyclists in hit-and-run crashes in the space of a fortnight.

"The mayor and I are appalled to see yet another serious collision involving vulnerable road users," he said.

Police have been directing traffic away from the scene, but many of the side roads off the High Street are part of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme and partially closed, so cars and lorries were having to do U-turns.

The road is expected to be closed for some time and buses were being diverted.

The force thanked people for their patience.