Mum's death prompts road turning ban trial

A temporary ban on motorists driving across a junction on a dual carriageway will be introduced after four people, including a mother of three, died on the same stretch in just over four years.

Charlotte Avis, 30, died on the A30 between Yeovil and Sherborne at the crossroads with Marl Lane on 1 December 2022, after her Ford Focus was hit head-on by another car.

Dorset's senior coroner Rachael Griffin sent her concerns to Dorset Council about safety following other fatal crashes in 2020, 2022 and 2024.

The authority is set to introduce a ban on right turns, U-turns and motorists driving straight across the A30 from Marl Lane and Old Compton Road this summer, for a maximum of 18 months.

The council is also conducting a feasibility study into the potential introduction of average speed cameras on the A30 to ensure motorists keep within its 60mph (96km/h) speed limit.

That was introduced in October 2024, with the limit cut from 70mph (112km/h).

The council said the measures for the road would need a "significant capital outlay" but that they "underscore [its] commitment to improving road safety on the A30".

"This measure will be regularly reviewed for a maximum of 18 months, during which time we will consult on the possibility of making these measures permanent," it told Mrs Griffin.

Sylwester Mielczarek, from Yeovil, admitted causing Ms Avis' death by careless driving and was given a 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Salisbury Crown Court in February.

After her death, Ms Avis' family described her as a "hard-working mum", who "lived her life by her three children".

"Everything she did, she did for them," the family said in a statement.

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