'Grandma was killed after I warned council about road'

Eleven-year-old Safa was so worried about the busy dual carriageway outside her home that she and her classmates wrote to their local council to request a crossing.

A year later - and their plea having been turned down - her grandmother went for a walk and never came home.

Fayyaz Begum, aged 54, was hit by a car just yards from the family home on the A457 in Smethwick, near Birmingham.

"I am devastated that this happened because if they put traffic lights in, this wouldn't have happened to my grandma," Safa told the BBC.

Safa had written to Sandwell Council in 2023 to ask for a crossing on the 40mph Birmingham Road/Oldbury Road, which she and her siblings use to get to school.

Her family said they were told by the authority that pedestrians should walk to the nearest crossing, which they said would add an extra 15 minutes to the journey.

The force said there have been four deaths on Oldbury Road in the last five years.

According to the House of Commons library there were 798 crashes on the A457 from 2014 to 2023, and eight of these were fatal.

Safa's family have now submitted a petition with almost 50 signatures to the council to call again for road safety improvements on the road, which is on a "red route" meaning cars cannot stop.

"I wrote in my letter that I wanted crossing lights for this road," she said.

"They said they'd put signs up but that didn't really do anything.

"It was important because across from our house is the school, the nursery and the mosque and it makes me nervous."

Ms Begum had gone for a walk on a Tuesday evening in August 2024 and was hit just outside her home. The grandma-of-nine died at the scene.

West Midlands Police said a 20-year-old man was arrested and remains on bail while inquiries continue.

"Me and my grandma were very connected," Safa said.

"She always supported me and she really wanted to see me get into year seven."

Children at George Betts Primary School, which is a stone's throw from the A457, are backing the family's petition.

"It's really hard for the children to cross safely when there are no measures in place for them," said year six teacher Charlie Poole.

"We worry before we come to work and when we get home from work. It's a real concern for us."

She said they want a pedestrian crossing, lights and a refuge point for families to cross.

Nekh, a year six pupil, said he feels "very nervous and anxious" on the road.

"It's very unsafe and there are loads of speeding cars. It makes me feel nervous because it might be me one day," he said.

Ben Corfield was just 19 when he was hit and killed by a dangerous driver on Oldbury Road alongside his friend Liberty Charris, 16.

Two of their friends were left with serious injuries.

Dhiya Al-Maamoury, 56, was jailed for 13 years and six months in November 2024.

Police said he was travelling at around 54 to 57mph before the collision.

Ben's father is Councillor Damian Corfield, Conservative cabinet member for highways at Dudley Council, and is campaigning for widespread change.

"Ben has left a legacy for us. My son was the light of my life and we lost him when he had his whole future life ahead of him," he said.

"To have a knock on the door at 1am to hear the most devastating news, our whole lives changed from that very second. Ben was a pedestrian and he should have been safe on the pavement.

"The chalice is in my hands now and if I can save just one family from having that terrible news, I've got to do that."

Councillor Corfield has successfully campaigned for new crossings at Tipton Road in Sedgley which he described as a "blackspot".

Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, said Ben was "a brilliant young man and Damian has proved a powerful advocate in his name".

"I have pledged to work with him to prevent more people being tragically and avoidably killed on our roads."

He said he would soon be appointing a new road safety commissioner, which he said would be the first in the UK.

"I've met the families of victims, and with Roadpeace we are sharing their heart-breaking stories, showing the devastating impact dangerous driving has on people's lives."

Sarah Coombes, Labour's MP for West Bromwich, has raised the issue in Parliament and the government says it is launching a new road safety partnership.

"The council agreed to put up speed warning signs and mobile speed cameras in the area," she said.

"What I would like is for them to look at the speed limit on this road. 40mph is too fast when we there is housing and little children walking along it.

"I will keep raising it, I am not going to let this go."

Councillor Keith Allcock, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for environment and highways, said road safety was a key priority.

"We will listen carefully to the concerns raised in the petition and look at any further measures we can take along this route," he said.

The authority added that it has ordered two new signs to be installed on the road and has asked West Midlands Police to increase its speed enforcement patrols along the route.

It also ran a road safety education programme with children at the local George Betts Primary School in 2023.