A34 - 4 dead tonight

[knitware]

Four cars and four lorries crash on the A34 tonight leaving 4 dead, 1 seriously injured and many more injured. A chap has need arrested under suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

The junction where this happened is one south from my house. A helicopter and emergency services en mass.
The A34 is a densely populated and outdated stretch or road that needs some work to make it safer, I wouldn't mind 50 mph limits past the various junctions along the rout, some are very short, too short for a 70mph road. Every week it's closed due to collisions sadly tonight's news is horrific.

[knitware]

AMGJocky said:

3 children and a woman are the 4 that passed away. Awful.

That is awful, I can't imagine the grief for the surviving family (s). Better policing of this road needs to be done asap.

[knitware]

We haven't touched upon the arrested driver's involvement in this horrendous accident. Its probably not wise to surmise but I hope this carnage wasn't caused by brake checking, not giving way or some other 'popular' stupid activity that seems to be common now.

[knitware]

Forget HS2 and build a beautiful safe motorway from Southampton to the M40. Compulsory purchase the land, it wouldn't encroach much more into green belt. I'm sick of living nearby and hearing of another death on this road, the latest is sickening and what will happen about it? Urgent action is needed. I'm writing to my local MP to try and get something moving.

[knitware]

A quick response from my MP.

Dear Mr. Vaizey,

You are probably aware of the tragic accident that occurred on the above date. A mother and three children were killed on the A34 within a notorious section of road alongside the village of East Iisley.

I live nearby in the village of Chilton where I have been a resident over two years. I have never lived in an area where a road has been closed so often and so regularly due to accidents occurring, many serious. This latest tragedy has left me sick and saddened at another death and has compelled me to write to you in the hope that action can be taken or at least a discussion started to help to stop further deaths and injuries along this route.

There are of course many options to deal with traffic volume and to help with safety, the best being the construction of a new motorway. If this is not viable then better policing, speed restrictions, widening of certain sections of road, install laybys but whatever the solution or scheme I’m sure you agree something has to be done.

Please help and give this some attention.

Yours sincerely,

Response sent the next day:

Dear

Thank you for your email to Ed Vaizey MP. Ed has asked me to let you know that he wrote to the Highways Agency in June about this stretch of road after a complaint from a constituent. He has received a holding email saying that the safety of the road was being investigated.

Since the tragic events earlier this week Ed has written to the CEO of the Highways Agency, Thames Valley Police and is going to arrange a meeting with Nicola Blackwood MP for Abingdon and Richard Benyon MP for Newbury to discuss how they can improve safety on the A34

Best Wishes

Charlotte