A DRIVER from Stow fears children’s lives are at risk after her dream car was smashed by a railway lorry - just yards from the village school.

Hospital worker Nickie Keene had just bought the Peugeot 207 six weeks ago.

But it is likely the £6,000 vehicle will be written off after a construction lorry ploughed into it on Friday afternoon.

Just a few minutes earlier a pensioner had crossed the road at the same spot to reach the village health centre.

And the Station Road area is also a regular hang-out for children.

Nickie told us: “It is bad enough what has happened to my car but I dread to think if there had been some children on the street or the old man had been a few minutes later going to the health centre.

“The truck was coming down the hill and the driver swerved when he saw another truck coming up the way - there’s no way he knew what he was swerving into.

“These lorries are coming up and down this road every five or ten minutes - it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.” It is understood that the crash happened when one lorry met another just before the corner outside the health centre entrance.

And the descending driver swerved to avoid a collision.

A neighbour of Nickie’s also had her garden fence and gate damaged earlier this year in a similar incident involving another construction vehicle.

An agreement was made with Borders Railway contractors BAM Nuttall for no lorries to use Station Road when children are either going to or leaving the primary school.

Local councillor Sandy Aitchison told us: “There is an agreement in place to protect children from any risk from these lorries. I don’t know the facts behind the incident on Friday so it be wrong for me to cast blame.” The lorry was owned and operated by sub-contractors, Flannery Plant Hire.

And a full accident report has since been submitted to the principal contract company, BAM Nuttall.

A spokesman told us: “An HGV vehicle owned and operated by a project supplier Flannery Plant Hire accidentally struck a parked vehicle on Station Road, Stow.

“A road traffic accident report has been completed by project team, contact details were issued to the third party and the matter will be resolved through the vehicle insurance process.” Ms Keene is also angry about the initial reaction from site bosses following the tea-time incident.

She claims that they offered to take her car away and 'fix it without the need for insurance companies’.

And, despite the drive shaft and front chassis being damaged in the crash, they offered to tie up her bumper to allow her to get to work.

Nickie added: “They came to my house and said they’d take the car away for me and bring it back when it was fixed.

“It was as if they were trying to sweep the whole thing under the carpet. I told them I was going through my insurance company.

“These people promised to fix my neighbour’s fence and gate after the last lorry incident - it’s still all twisted.” BAM Nuttall said that they weren’t aware of any offer and all procedures were followed.