A grieving farming couple who wanted road safety measures put in place following their son’s death have reignited calls for action after being dealt a double blow.
Leonardo’s Helicopters engineer Ben Solly died between the junctions to Maiden Newton and Cattistock on the A37 in January last year. He was 28.
Last month the inquest into his death was finally heard – ending an agonising 21-month wait for answers for his parents David and Sarah.
However the Coroner concluded Ben’s death did not justify extra road safety measures at that spot, where the incline of the road can make it difficult to see braking vehicles. He did not, as the Sollys hoped, call for double white lines to warn motorists against overtaking on that stretch.
In the same week that the Coroner reached his conclusion, a woman died at the same spot.
Catherine Gray, 49, from Weymouth was pronounced dead at the scene just after 5.30pm on October 22 after a collision.
David said: “We started a petition earlier this year to ask for safety measures, which we had nearly 900 people sign.
“But still nobody’s doing anything to help. Now another fatal accident has happened there and they still say it’s not enough.
“The white lines there are already pretty faint, and you wouldn’t think it would cost a lot to paint double lines.
“But although we had hoped that we could make a difference after Ben died, we now don’t see any good coming out of it in Ben’s memory. Driving is getting
worse by the day – people are taking risks.”
The family has approached MP Edward Morello for help with their campaign and he is looking into it.
A Dorset Council spokesperson said: “Following the conclusion of the inquest hearing we are still working with the Coroner and are unable to provide any updates at this stage. With regards to the fatal collision on October 22, this collision remains under police investigation, and we are unable to comment.”
n Sign the petition at change.org/p/enhance-roadsafety-measures-at-breakheart-hill-on-a37