'More needs to be done to make most dangerous road in East Yorkshire safe'

Senior coroner for Hull and the East Riding Professor Paul Marks wrote to East Riding Council in January, following the death of Garry Clarkson, on Westfield Lane, Hook, saying he believed "action should be taken to prevent future deaths".

Mr Clarkson, who worked for the charity Green Team, was in the front seat of a Ford Transit Tipper, travelling from Hook last June “when for unknown reasons” it mounted a nearside grass verge, and went into a ditch, before hitting a tree.

The driver escaped with minor injuries but Mr Clarkson had to be cut free. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Coroners have legal powers and duties to write a report if it appears there is a risk of other deaths occurring in similar circumstances.

An inquest has not yet been held, but Prof Marks made the “regulation 28 report” to the council's highways department, after being contacted by town councillor Keith Moore, over the deaths and two more non-fatal accidents last December.

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In his letter Prof Marks asked the council to investigate “the problems that appear to be in the area in the hope that some form of remedial action can be taken to decrease the chances of further accidents and fatalities occurring.”

In a statement East Riding Council said they had already carried out “significant” safety work, including extending a 30mph speed limit zone, and will be resurfacing the bends along the lane in the next financial year.

But Coun Moore said he was concerned by having to wait, potentially for another year, for the resurfacing work and claims the council’s response falls “far short” of what is required.

He has branded the road “the most dangerous in the East Riding” and said since December, there had been “double figures” of cars coming off the road and collisions.

The last in July left a car a write-off after plunging into a ditch off the double bend.

The Goole town councillor said: “As soon as I was aware there was going to be an inquest I made contact with the coroner and sent him emails over the previous two years where I raised concerns with directors at East Riding Council and their negative responses.

“It shouldn’t have taken all that time and yet another fatality and action by the coroner to have improvements made to this road.

“The road was never ever meant to handle the number of vehicles it does - a traffic census three years ago said it carried over 3,000 a day.”

Coun Moore believes the speed limit should be dropped where it is the national speed limit to 50mph - and that there should be enforcement and a cycle lane along its full length.

A spokesman for East Riding Council said resurfacing of the bends was already planned for the next financial year.

He added: “A significant amount of safety improvement work has been carried out on this road in the recent past, including the extension of the 30mph speed limit zone at the Church Lane end of Westfield Lane and significant levels of signing for the bends, which are within the 30mph speed limit.

“As with all roads in the East Riding, drivers should exercise due care and attention at all times, and drive according to the speed limit in place and the road conditions at the time.”