Tributes paid to man killed in accident on 'danger' road (From Gazette Series)

Tributes paid to man killed in accident on 'danger' road in Chipping Sodbury

8:40am Thursday 2nd August 2012 in News By Alexandra Womack

Flowers left by family members at the scene of the accident on Kennedy Way in Chipping Sodbury

TRIBUTES have been paid to a pedestrian who was killed in a horrific accident on a Chipping Sodbury ‘danger’ road.

The 39-year-old man, named by police yesterday as John Ferguson, died on the A432 last Thursday night after a collision with two cars.

Cards, flowers and a teddy bear have been left at the scene outside Chipping Sodbury School.

One read: "John, Sleep tight. Back with your mum now. God bless, Uncle Clive, Corrine, Gregg, Luke and Vicky."

Another said: "John, U will be sadly missed by a lot of people. U was a lovely man. RIP John. Love Fiona and Selina."

In a touching tribute, his father wrote: "I don’t know what to say cause you were taken from me so early in your life. You are with your mum and brother now looking down on us all.

"We all thought we that we would have a few more years with you. You will always be in my heart and my mind."

The crash happened at 9.36pm where Kennedy Way meets Cotswold Road.

Carole Swain, who has lived on Cotswold Road for 45 years, arrived home from a line dancing class at Yate Leisure Centre to the distressing scene outside her house.

"I was diverted and had to stop at Hounds Road, but police let me drive the wrong way down the carriageway to my house," she said.

She said the road, which was made into a single lane carriageway on the westbound side in 2007 but remains a dual lane on the eastbound carriageway, had seen numerous near misses in the past.

"Our neighbours have had their walls knocked down and every lamp post has been hit several times. All these accidents have happened in the last five to seven years and most are cars coming from Old Sodbury and careering off on to the eastbound carriageway.

"We said it would take a death for anything to be done."

Audrey Wyatt, who has lived on Cotswold Road for 27 years, said: "They use this road as a racetrack. We see more and more problems over the years.

"If they made this side a single lane it might slow traffic down. Something needs to be done about it."

There are two pedestrian underpasses but residents say they are not always used.

In 2010, the Gazette reported on residents’ renewed calls for a reduction in the 50mph speed limit. At the time, now retired beat manager PC Giles Sutton said police were aware the route was a speeding hotspot.

A police spokesman said: "Police officers attended the scene and the road was closed while the emergency services dealt with the incident and police began to investigate the circumstances of the collision.

"Anyone who witnessed the collision or saw a Ford Cougar and Honda Prelude being driven in the area at around that time should contact Avon and Somerset Police on 101."

* Two men, aged 33 and 19, were arrested shortly after the crash on Thursday on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Both have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.