A590 safety call after Grange-over-Sands mum dies in crash (From Lancaster And Morecambe Citizen)

A590 safety call after Grange-over-Sands mum dies in crash

3:39pm Thursday 12th November 2009

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CALLS have been renewed for safety measures on the road where a war hero mum-of-two died last week.

3 Michelle Jurd lost her life in a collision with an articulated lorry at Gilpin Bridge on the A590.

Now calls have been made for lighting and a roundabout following the death of 41-year-old Mrs Jurd, of Eden Mount Road, Grange-over-Sands.

One of those campaigning for improvements on the A590 is David Swift, of Staveley-in-Cartmel, who lost his partner Amanda Quinn in an accident with an articulated lorry at the same location.

He said that at the time he called for lights to be installed to make it safer at night.

However, he was told by Highways Agency officers, who are responsible for trunk roads, that the accident was a ‘one off’ and the junction was safe.

“This is exactly the same situation as happened with Amanda,” he said.

“During winter it’s black and the vehicles can be 90 degrees to the traffic and it takes some time to realise something is there.

"I would like something done about it. There is no reason why they cannot put some lights up so people can see the danger,” he said.

His call has been backed by South Lakeland District councillor for Levens, Brenda Woof who described the junction as “horrendous”.

“I avoid that junction like the plague and go a different way,” she said.

“They have got to do something. I would back these calls for lighting or anything at all that could improve the junction.”

Roger Mason, chairman of Levens Parish Council, said he also believed lighting at the junction would be ‘beneficial’.

Anne Kerr, a resident who knew Mrs Jurd, said: “There has got to be something done about it.

"They have got to provide something like street lighting or a roundabout.”

A spokesman from the Highways Agency said: “When deciding on introducing lighting we keep an eye on the accident rates at night.

"As far as we are aware there only appears to have been two accidents there within ten years at night time and both were fatal.

“Lighting was looked at last time and no doubt it will be looked at again but the inquest needs to happen first.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police on 0845 33 00 247.

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