MP Laura Sandys is calling for Kent County Council to prevent the A256 from flooding after a Sandwich woman fractured her back in a crash.

The MP for South Thanet is meeting Kent Highways to discuss her concerns that Sandwich Road, on the A256 south of the town, is prone to flooding and is therefore dangerous to motorists.

This comes after Anna Wheeler, 24, of Hazelwood Meadows, Sandwich, was involved in an accident on January 19.

The carer and former Sandwich Technology pupil became submerged in flood water when her car skidded and ended up in a flooded dyke.

Passenger Arron Dale, 25, from Woodnesborough, managed to pull Miss Wheeler out of the vehicle but unfortunately she fractured her back in three places and has since had to undergo physiotherapy to enable her to walk unassisted.

Ms Sandys said: “This matter was first brought to my attention after a local resident was involved in a very serious collision along this stretch of road.

“I immediately raised this matter with the director of Kent Highways and I understand that ways in which drainage could be improved are currently being reviewed. My meeting with Kent Highways is to discuss this ongoing work as I am extremely keen to ensure that this serious road safety issue is urgently resolved.”

Mr Wheeler, 65, has been calling for Kent Highways to fix the drains in order to stop another accident ever since his daughter was nearly paralysed four months ago.

He said: “They’ve done nothing about it. It still hasn’t been cleared. If it does flood again someone is going to get killed.”

However, the cause of the incident is still under review and it is not certain whether the crash was due to a lack of maintenance on the road or a driver error.

A spokesman for Kent Police said: “Although numerous vehicles would have used the same bit of road that night, no other vehicles appear to have come into difficulty. The officers who attended the incident that night concluded that it was highly likely that the speed of the vehicle contributed significantly to the driver losing control, and did not reflect the prevailing conditions that night and the layout of the road.

“Plus, the time of night would have restricted the ability of the driver to see the flooded area.”

A date for the site meeting to determine if maintenance work is needed on Sandwich Road, is yet to be confirmed.