Resident 'raised fears over road safety for third time on morning of fatal crash'
A MAN who lives opposite the site of a fatal road crash in rural Lincolnshire says he has been warning of the dangers for months.
As reported in the Echo, motorist Duane White, 36, was killed in a collision with a lorry on the B1395 Wood Lane, near the northern entrance to South Kyme, near Sleaford.
-
Motorist Duane White was killed in a collision with a lorry on the B1395, near Sleaford.
Retired company chairman Roy Norman revealed he flagged up his concerns for the third time since March on the morning Mr White died.
Mr Norman said: "When mowing the distant end of our avenue I have on and off for years found car parts – wing mirrors, trim and bumpers – either on our land or in the adjoining corner of the neighbours field.
"Inspection would show marks on Wood Lane's grass verge where cars have spun out of control after the bend.
"At this point the speed limit is 60mph, albeit just a few yards later it enters a 30mph limit through the village.
"I have through the years seen the destruction of hawthorn bushes and trees but no police in attendance, as the drivers seem to make a timely, but no doubt shaken, exit.
"It is obvious that there is an issue with the road, whether it's the camber, the speed limit or simply lack of a nearby warning sign.
"Mine is the only property in the immediate vicinity, so I eventually felt it was up to me to let the council know the situation."
Mr Norman first contacted Lincolnshire County Council on March 19, expressing his concerns and saying that he feared a fatality.
He said: "By June 1 there was more debris.
"I had expected at least a bend sign to have appeared but had heard nothing.
"I expressed considerable concern, again citing I feared a potential fatality.
"Nearly five months on and no solution has taken place.
"Lincolnshire has a high death rate on its roads.
"With this in mind, one might expect matters of concerns raised by taxpayers to be acted upon in a reasonable timescale." Mr White, of High Street, South Kyme, was in a black Ford Puma car, which was in a collision with a Scania lorry.
Emergency services were called out at about 11.23am on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old lorry driver, a man from Wales, was unhurt.
Area highways manager Rowan Smith said: "Our deepest sympathies go to the family and friends of Mr White at this difficult time.
"We must now await the results of collision investigations and work closely with the police, through the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership, before deciding whether any highways improvements need to be considered.
"When we understand what happened, and the circumstances which led to this tragic event are known, we will review the associated highway if required."
9 Comments
by Concerned neighbour, South Kyme
Wednesday, August 11 2010, 8:31PM
“Just a line or two upon comments from 'Gunsmith, Wisconsin, USA' and others. As "the neighbour" who raised concerns with the Council in March, I had made a point of passing suggestions to them (camber, speed signs, etc.), it was then for the professionals, not myself to judge the potential solution. Indeed, when I last phoned on the morning of the incident, I was advised that it had been agreed that a bend sign was needed, and would be erected.
I intentionally (publicly) avoided passing any comment as to the the current tragic situation. The Coroner will have all the facts and pass his opinion in time.”
by keith smith, Grantham
Tuesday, August 10 2010, 9:59AM
“First let me express my sympathy to the bereived family and this is not in direct reference to this incident. I must agree with several writers who refer to the words "responsibilty" I can guess their ages without meeting them, they come from an age when people all accepted their own responsibility for their actiions and did not seek to pass the blame to someone or something else. I ask the question who has changed these people to think they are not to blame? Quote "where there is blame there is a claim" RING ANY BELLS !!!!”
by Gunsmith, Wisconsin, USA
Monday, August 09 2010, 10:45PM
“Apparently, according to the story at least, there was also a Scania lorry involved. Much as I was tempted to blame the deceased driver for his own demise, I realized that there is nothing in the story to indicate that it wasn't the lorry driver's fault. Please don't jump to conclusions. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to the truly innocent victims, Mr. White's family. Also, don't be too quick to blame the Road Safety Partnership; I'm sure they get far more complaints than they can possibly handle, especially with Lincolnshire's winding roadways.”
by Steve, Lincoln
Monday, August 09 2010, 6:58PM
“David, I wasn't aware the deceased driver HAD blamed the road or the conditions. In fact I wasn't aware he had blamed anything, so why are you SHOUTING AS IF HE IS?
In fact the County Coucil normally blame the road or the trees and straighten them out or chop them down.”
by S Smith, Lincoln
Monday, August 09 2010, 3:59PM
“Hairy Jim, you're spot on with your comments.”
by Bemused, Lincoln, Driving safely round the bend.
Monday, August 09 2010, 3:56PM
“Firstly, my commiserations to all those affected by the road traffic collision in which this gentleman lost his life.
Hear hear David, something I was starting to think I would never see in print - accepting the consequences of one's own actions.
I travel that same stretch of road on a regular basis and on recent occasions have been overtaken in some extremely questionable locations of that road. The bend in question can be seen from both directions and the reasonable driver would be expected to regulate their speed and drive accordingly and appropriately to the conditions of the road. The resident in the article misguidedly blames all but the drivers for the previous near-misses and the latest incident. Most road signs do not save lives but merely confirm what we can see with our own eyes. Speed does not save or take lives. Road conditions do not take lives. Road hazards do not take lives. The only life taker is one's own poor judgement in the decisions they make when they drive, and lack of ability and skill in reacting and respond to road and machine.”
by david, lincoln
Monday, August 09 2010, 2:22PM
“Oh no here we go again. IT IS NOT THE ROAD OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If the road is an issue what the hell are the other thousands of motorists who drive down the raod and DO NOT have an accident doing wrong? Obviously if it is the road causing the problem anyone having an accident must be doing it right and anyone not having an accident doing it wrong. God please take me back to the early 1900's. I will miss the internet, i will miss computer games and i will miss some televison but i will not miss this stupid everyone and everything is to blame for my misfortune other than myself bloody society we live in now. At least back then people knew if they made a mistake something may happen and they would only have themsleves to blame. I am getting sick to death of people blaming anything but themselves for their problems!”
by Hairy Jim, Doncaster
Monday, August 09 2010, 1:04PM
“Before I start, I feel for the driver's' family right now, as these are the innocent parties. Obviously no malice is intended with what I am about to type.
The man who died was local. He must have known the road, yet still treated it like a racetrack. There is no way that a 1400kg car travelling close to 30mph would have sustained such damage and ended up in a field so far from the road. It must have been driving too fast for the conditions (camber/visibility/surface/weather etc) knowing that the speed limit decreases very close to the point where the car rests, surely it would be the right thing to ENTER the 30mph limit at 30 or below, not start to brake as you pass the sign............
So yes, it is a shame someone has lost their life, but let's be realistic here. Imagine that a family (on School holiday) were cycling on a quiet country lane, as this is, and this driver had appeared at high speed round a blind corner. Would we be reading about 4 untimely deaths and the driver in question incarcerated.....?? Possibly. Speed is in the hands of the driver, not the road. It is up to us, as responsible people to make those decisions whilst behind the wheel. Every day, every journey. There's a thought. Has anyone ever seen the road sign "New Road Layout Ahead" Why is that needed? Surely we should all be watching for the next hazard, be it a dog, child, ball, bollard, tree falling, truck coming in the other direction, kerbstone, roundabout etc. There is no need for the nanny state to keep telling people to look around them. We all agreed to do this when we took our driving tests. Anything we do that is against the highway code, is in fact a breach of contract on our part. Any infingement should result in chastisement, whether it be licence revoked or imprisonment for serious offences, so be it.
The carnage will only stop when drivers take responsibility for their actions.”
by Steve Cattell, Hougham
Monday, August 09 2010, 12:09PM
“They won't do anything - the Road SAfety Partnership will say there haven't been enough deaths to make action worthwhile. We have the same here near Grantam - 7 killed and numerous injured near Denton and we are just asking for a 50 mph limit like at Harlaxton but not enough deaths. I wans electronic slow slow signs in Hougham but told no yet Normanton, Old Dalby, Scraptoft have them but they are Leicestershire or Nottinghamshire. Although they do erect them on Manthorpe Road where there are 3 in a short distance including one just before the limit changes upwards and I don't remember any deaths on that road before they were erected but there are a lot of expensive houses and Councillors and Execs from the County Council - oh did I type that aloud?”