Suffolk’s police and crime commissioner Tim Passmore has insisted a new roads policing unit “will happen”, as a fatal road accident in Honington yesterday claimed the life of another driver.
The death takes the death toll on Suffolk’s roads this year to 24 – the same number as the whole of 2012.
Dr Ronak Patel, from Ixworth, has been named as the casualty of the crash on the A1088 in Honington which involved the VW Golf he was driving and a lorry.
The 33-year-old medical doctor died at the scene of the accident, which police were called out to just before 9am.
Following the collision, Mr Passmore said: “The overall number of accidents [involving fatalities and serious injuries] are reducing. However, there’s starting to be a rather disturbing trend rather sadly, I have to say. The level of fatalities has certainly plateaued if not increasing, which I find alarming because of the distress for the friends and families of victims, and the communities where the accident actually takes place. I wish there was a magic wand to deal with this, but there isn’t.
“Our deepest, deepest sympathies for the bereaved and victims. It’s a tragic situation.
“Moving on from there I will continue to do whatever I can to improve road safety in Suffolk.”
It is now also hoped that a new Bury St Edmunds-based roads policing unit will be delivered within two months.
Mr Passmore said the unit’s creation was “not negotiable” and “will happen”.
He added that it was understood most accidents nationally were caused by driver error but that there needed to be adequate enforcement and police presence, and greater public awareness of the seriousness of the “fatal four” – drink driving, mobile phone use, not wearing seatbelts and speeding.
Of the fatal collisions in Suffolk this year, two thirds of the deaths have been in the west of the county. Retired teacher William John Dyal, 77, known as John, his wife, 75-year-old Helen, from Ely, and 24-year-old Matthew Grant and 28-year-old Chris Merchant, both from Mildenhall, died in a head-on collision in Worlington on Friday, July 17.
Speaking following the Worlington crash, Chief Inspector Chris Spinks, of Norfolk and Suffolk Roads Policing, said: “We will be continuing our enforcement and awareness programme for the year. Getting the message across about the fatal four is important to prevent serious incidents.”
Any witnesses to Monday’s crash at Honington are asked to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Team on 101 quoting reference CAD 76 of August 3.
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