Lower limit plea following fatal crash on major road
After A520 tragedy, this week a driver was thrown from car after crashing into tree
RESIDENTS are calling for safety measures on a busy road after two serious crashes in the space of three weeks.
Bernard Hopwood, 81, from Cellarhead, died at the scene on the A520 Leek Road in Cellarhead after his Ford Focus crashed into a stationary tractor on January 19.
And a 45-year-old man was thrown 50 yards after his blue Citroën Dispatch van smashed into a tree on Sunday night, just a mile down the road from the fatal collision.
He was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital, where his injuries were described as serious but non-lifethreatening.
Now concerned families want to see the national speed limit on the road between Weston Coyney and Cellarhead cut to 40mph to stop further accidents.
They would also like to see street lighting and speed cameras installed.
Pensioner Diane Perrins had just turned her TV off and was about to go to bed when she heard a huge bang at 11.30pm on Sunday. She alerted her son who rushed to the man’s aid as he lay in the road after being ‘ejected’ from the vehicle.
The 77-year-old said: “It’s the second bad crash in the space of a few weeks. Sadly, the first man died and I just hope the other one pulls through.
“The road is a nightmare. Juggernauts and cars come thundering down here. Something needs to be done to slow them down.
“It’s currently the national speed
limit but it should be 40mph or even 30mph.
“There’s barely any street lighting which makes it so dangerous at night. I’ve even had a light fitted to my home that comes on at tea time and turns off at day break as I’m scared someone will crash into my home.
“When I’m in the refuge area waiting to turn in, my car vibrates if a lorry goes past. I always think ‘crikey, that was close.’ I never go at more than 40mph because it’s so dangerous, even when I get traffic building up behind me.
“If I’d known how bad it was, I’d never have bought my house. It’s so stressful living here. I may never be able to sell unless something’s done.
“The tenant who was here before
even wished me luck.” Diane had already alerted Staffordshire County Council and Staffordshire Moorlands MP Karen Bradley to the danger before Sunday’s collision right outside her house.
She added: “The man was thrown 50 yards. There was debris all over the road. It was so terrifying. A tyre came to rest by my window. If it had come through, I think I’d have had a heart attack.
“No-one seems to be listening to me. Will there have to be a second fatality before something is done? Even that might not be enough.”
Staffordshire Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of both collisions.
Regarding Sunday’s crash, the force said: “Police were called at 11.33pm on Sunday to Leek Road near Little Blythe Farm, following reports of a collision between a vehicle and a tree.
“Officers attended as did Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and paramedics. A 45-year-old man, the driver and sole-occupant, had been ejected from the vehicle.
“He was conveyed to hospital by the ambulance service where he remains in a stable condition.
His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.
“He will be interviewed at a later date. “Officers informed highways to clear debris from the road. Inquiries are ongoing.”