Call for quicker reviews of serious road accidents

Police and council highways officials should speed up how they report and review road collisions to prevent future deaths, a coroner's report has stated.

It comes after David Walsh, 40, and his son Cameron, 16, died last year when the car Mr Walsh was test-driving went into Louth Canal close to Tetney Lock, near Grimsby.

Published on Monday, the coroner's prevention of future death (PFD) report has been sent to Lincolnshire County Council and Lincolnshire Police.

It found that crashes involving injuries and deaths that might have been due in part to road conditions were not immediately reported by police to the highways authority.

The report by Marianne Johnson, assistant coroner for Greater Lincolnshire, also found that crashes involving injuries or deaths were reviewed by the highways team on only an annual basis. This includes deciding on potential safety improvements to reduce the risk of future incidents.

A PFD report is issued when a coroner thinks action is needed to protect lives.

Ms Johnson said that not reviewing road traffic collisions more regularly could mean there was a "possibility that other incidents can occur prior to the annual review that could have been prevented" if the report had been made at the time of the crash instead.

The council and Lincolnshire Police have been given 56 days to respond to the report with a "timetable for action".

Mr Walsh's Mercedes ended up upside down and fully submerged apart from its two rear wheels when it left Tetney Lock Road and went into the canal on 6 January last year.

Both he and his son were pronounced dead at the scene.

PC Nick Prestwich told the hearing into their deaths there was a sign on that stretch of road warning drivers it was "undulated and uneven".

Richard Fenwick, head of highways asset and local management services at the county council, confirmed the car would have driven past a warning sign about 650ft (about 200m) before the scene of the crash. He said the warning signs were "appropriate".

The inquest found last month that Mr Walsh and Cameron died in a road traffic collision.

Lincolnshire Police has been contacted by the BBC for comment on the PFD report.

A council spokesperson said: "We are unable to comment until a response to the coroner has been completed by the deadline date set in the document."

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