AFTER another person died following a crash on the A429, there are pleas to lower the speed limit on the “accident blackspot”.

A 76-year-old woman from Cirencester died on Wednesday last week after a head-on crash between two cars on the A429 at Kemble Enterprise Park on Monday, November 14.

An 82-year-old Cirencester man, John Day, was declared dead at the scene of the collision between the red Suzuki Ignis he was driving and a black Peugeot 307.

The 76-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the Suzuki, died at Southmead Hospital in Bristol nine days after the crash.

A 26-year-old man who was driving the Peugeot remains in a serious but stable condition at Southmead.

Police investigations into the crash are continuing.

Councillors, residents and employees at Kemble Enterprise Park have spoken of the dangers of the A429 after seven fatal collisions in the past 18 months.

Johanna Hamilton, who lives near the enterprise park, believes the only way to avoid more crashes is to lower the 60mph limit.

She told the Standard: “I was saddened to hear of yet another fatal crash on the A429 – though not surprised. The crashes happen with such regularity, and every time it happens there are cries of ‘something must be done’ but nothing ever is.

“The piece of road in question is an accident blackspot for one reason – people drive too quickly. The road has long straights and sweeping bends that encourage speeding.

“There are never any police speed traps, so why not go as fast as you can?

“When you turn the corner, you might meet a long lorry slowly leaving Rapid Racking; a worker leaving it a bit too late to signal right into the airfield; a resident pulling out with poor visibility; someone looking at the aeroplanes and veering across the road; pedestrians with cameras slowly sauntering across the road for a better photo – I have seen it all.

“I have frequently looked both ways, driven left towards Cirencester and suddenly had a car on my bumper, horns blowing, lights on full, offensive hand gestures at the ready.

“Worse still, some people have then overtaken me ignoring the double whites, which is beyond dangerous.

“The only way to tackle the bi-monthly fatalities is to give drivers more reaction time, and that means dropping the speed limit to 50 (perhaps 40) between the bend where the fatal crash took place and beyond the crossroads to Oaksey/Culkerton.”

Paul Hodgkinson, the county councillor for Bourton-on-the-Water and Northleach, leads a task group which was set up to review the safety of the A429.

After the fatal crash on November 14, he told the Standard: “What we in the task group feel is that certain parts of the road need upgrading and resurfacing, as well as new signage and white lines.

“A lot of that part of the road around Kemble has been resurfaced, so I can’t speculate that that is what may have caused this crash. The road is only as safe as those who drive it.

“However, the A429 has seen six or seven deaths in the last 18 months, so it’s a particularly serious situation.”

A spokesman for Gloucestershire County Council, the highways authority in the area, responded to Ms Hamilton’s concerns about the A429 after the latest deadly crash.

“Our sympathies are with the family at this sad time.” he said.

“While there is an ongoing police investigation it is inappropriate for us to comment any further.”