Picking up the pieces after deadly collisions

FOUR people died in the space of six months on Halton’s roads as the emergency services have released a powerful account of how a fatal collision affects not only the driver and their family, but everyone else subsequently involved.

Figures from Cheshire police and Cheshire Fire And Rescue Service show that there were four fatalities on the borough’s highways from the start of last September up to the end of February this year.

Three of these were in Runcorn, while one was in Widnes.

In 2018 in total across Cheshire, 46 people died in a fatal collision.

So far this year up until September 9, 26 people have died in a fatal collision in the county.

Those to have died this year included Owen Batty, 75, who passed away following a collision in midJuly on Derby Road in Widnes.

Paul Weaver, 59, from Latchford in Warrington, died in February following a collision on Ditton Road.

In Runcorn, a 22-yearold man died in June on the Southern Expressway northbound after reports of a crash involving a car that had come off the road.

A 73-year-old motorist died in January following a crash on Picow Farm Road at the junction with Roland Avenue.

The emotive video released by the emergency services highlights the devastation collisions cause, with staff speaking out about how responding to these incidents affects them personally.

This year has seen more than one person a week die on the county’s roads, and Cheshire’s emergency services are stressing that collisions can be avoided if road users think about how they drive, consider the conditions of the road and assess their surroundings.

This time last year is when a sharp rise in the number of people dying on Cheshire’s roads was experienced – with 32 people not going home between September and February – and the emergency services don’t want the same to happen again this year.

Superintendent Jo Marshall-Bell, head of Cheshire police’s Roads And Crime Unit, said: “One death as a result of something preventable is one too many. The moment we get that call we have had another fatal collision in the county our hearts sink.

“A family liaison officer has to go and break the devastating news to the family, and help them to rebuild their lives without their loved one. It’s heartbreaking.

“Not just for the family who have lost their mother/father/child, but for all the responding emergency service staff who have to help pick up the pieces.

“With the nights getting darker and the roads getting wetter, it’s more important than ever that people heed our advice and drive more carefully.”

Station manager Andy Gray, also road safety manager for Cheshire Fire And Rescue Service, said: “As a service we spend a considerable amount of time educating road users on how to drive safely.

“We explain and show the consequences of how one reckless decision behind the wheel can have – yet we are seeing the number of people killed on our roads increase.

“Firefighters do a great job at rescuing people from collisions however sometimes, it is just too late.

“They have seen far too many preventable fatalities and life-changing injuries on the county’s roads.

“Think before you overtake and make sure it is safe to do so, concentrate when pulling out of a junction, look out for cyclists and motorcyclists, leave enough space between you and the vehicle in front and drive appropriately for the road and weather conditions. I promise you, it’s not worth dying for.”

Cheshire’s police and crime commissioner David Keane said: “Making our roads safer is one of the most important priorities for the residents I represent in Cheshire and I am working closely with our Chief Constable and victims to improve road safety across the county.

“I recently met the family of a young man killed on one of Cheshire’s roads to talk to them about how they were supported by Cheshire police and to discuss how the criminal justice system can better support victims and their families.

“It was harrowing to see first-hand the devastating effect the loss of a loved one had had on the entire family.

“This video not only captures the aftermath of a road traffic collisions for the victims’ family but also emergency services workers.

“I hope it makes people think twice about driving recklessly and putting their lives and the lives of other road users and pedestrians at risk.”