Safety plea after death on A41 in Shropshire
Residents have called for safety measures to be introduced along a notorious stretch of road after the death of a motorcyclist.
Last week, a 53-year-old motorcyclist from Shrewsbury died in a crash with a car on the Sandford bend of the A41 between Whitchurch and Market Drayton, prompting calls from residents for a lower speed limit to be put in place.
Paul Beak, 66, who lives on the road, said he is a daily witness to the dangers.
He said: "We have lived here for 15 years and this is the first fatality but there have been more accidents than I can count.
"We are daily witnesses to the squeak of tyres and braking along that road.
"We have had two lorries go right round the corner into a field and we have had a Land Rover land right in our front garden.
"Our neighbours have had the same and it is lucky grandchildren haven't been playing there at the time."
Neighbour David Martin, 65, said: "It is unbelievable. It is absolutely dangerous.
"How many more fatalities are we going to have to have before something is done?
"We are risking our lives coming out of our own drives."
The motorcyclist who died on the road on Thursday night was riding a grey Suzuki GSX motorcycle when it collided with a blue Suzuki SX4 car travelling in the opposite direction.
Paramedics and doctors went to the scene but said they were unable to save the man.
Now neighbours say they are desperate to get a 30-mile-per-hour speed limit introduced and enforced.
Mr Beak said: "We need to have a 30mph speed limit there.
"We have an active campaign going and I have been writing to a number of people about it.
"It is concerning for everybody living here that we have to pull out onto the road.
"Something does need to be done."
Shropshire Councillor Paul Wynn, who represents Prees, said he is in support of the idea and things are moving along.
He said: "I have been looking into this with the local residents and I would like to see a 30mph speed limit.
"I have been meeting with the residents and we have been looking at it over the last six months.
"It is difficult with it being an A-road but we are looking into it.
"The next thing will be to do some speed monitoring along the road. There is an advisory speed limit but we want to get something official and enforced."
The bend has become a notorious blackspot for crashes.
In August 2014, a man was airlifted to hospital with serious head injuries after a crash involving two cars and a lorry on the road.
