Grieving son says safety overdue at A5 junction
Mum who was killed in crash ‘always hated’ intersection
A MAN whose mother died in a crash at a blackspot on the A5 is calling for more to be done to improve safety.
Andy Caley, 57, said his mum Rona “had hated” the A5 junction with High Cross Road, where she died in a smash on October 22.
Rona, 81, was on her way from her home in Claybrooke to an appointment at Walsgrave hospital when she was involved in the collision at the High Cross junction on the morning of October 22.
She had turned right out of High Cross Road onto the A5 when the collision took place.
Andy said his brother had also had a near-miss there since.
He said: “My mum hated that junction, she was especially careful crossing it”.
Vehicles turning right out of High Cross Road have to cross the 70mph dual carriageway using a gap in the central reservation, which is also used by vehicles coming the other way.
But Andy says that road markings have become faded, causing further safety problems.
He said his brother got stuck there as he pulled onto the A5 very recently, and he had to reverse back onto High Cross Road.
There have been several crashes on the A5 since Rona’s death, including three in one day.
Highways England recently said that works were planned for March to refresh all road markings, studs, coloured patches and anti-skid surfacing in the area.
But Andy said: “I have seen some of the statements from Highways England saying they will improve signage - that’s tinkering around the edges.
“That whole junction is flawed, people can get blocked in.”
He also believes the speed limit a 70mph two-way dual carriageway on the crest of a hill - is a problem and is calling for restrictions there.
He is backing a petition calling for more safety measures on the A5 in the area, which has been signed by more than 1,700 people.
Andy said his mum was “full of energy” and looking forward to her holidays and being with her family for Christmas.
He spoke to her over the phone the day before the crash.
Another motorist Carole Robson, from Ullesthorpe, has previously told our sister paper the Leicester Mercury that she has stopped using the High Cross junction to get across the A5 because it is so dangerous.
She said: “The cars on that stretch, with it being a 70mph dual carriageway, they tend to come up really fast. It’s so dangerous.”
She now joins the road at the Mere Lane junction further down, near Magna Park.
Another grieving relative backing the petition is Rebecca Dorrian, after her partner Simon Baldwin died in a collision on the A5 in 2011.
She said: “Simon’s not the only person who died here and there are people who have also had serious injuries. Something needs to be done.”