Worried residents to discuss improving safety on Dudley road where young woman died

Those living along along the A4036 Thorns Road in Quarry Bank, which links Lye with Merry Hill and Dudley, have long been concerned with speeding and have started a petition to Dudley Council and West Midlands Police to get measures put in place.

A public meeting is being held tonight at Thorns Primary School.

Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb said she will attend and is fully in sympathy with the residents and the family of the woman who lost her life.

She said: "It was a tragic waste of life for someone so young and we just can't see that happen again so we will do everything we can to make that stretch of road safe.

"We have seen this before where it has took a loss of life to galvanise people – I am no road safety expert but it is obvious from past history and what has happened here there is a problem and I am hopefully the go-between who will get the people together at the meeting and try to get something done,

"The meeting will be attended by the councillors in the area and hopefully a representative of Dudley Council's Highways Department as it needs a collective action and force to make the road safe or at least put measures in place which will go someway to doing that."

On Friday, September 29 a woman in her 20s was using a pedestrian crossing on Thorns Road when she was struck by a driver at around 8pm. Despite ambulance crews' efforts she died at the scene.

Afterwards an 18-year-old man gave himself up and was arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving whilst unfit through drink and drugs. He was later bailed.

It was the second fatal collision in Thorns Road involving a pedestrian in a little over two years.

On August 28, 2021 Ion Baronescu, aged 50, died after being struck by a Mercedes car driven by Mohammed Zaber, 46, of Chapel Street in Lye. Zaber was jailed for 26 months and banned from the road for four years for causing Mr Baronsecu's death by dangerous driving at Wolverhampton Crown Court in July.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, a Dudley Council spokesman said: "It goes without saying we take keeping roads safe across the borough seriously and we are working hard to improve that.

"On Thorns Road we have already installed additional signage and road-marking outside the Thorns Primary and Secondary and Old Park School and upgraded the pedestrian crossing outside Stevens Park.

"Regional mobile speed cameras are also regularly at the site to deter motorists from speeding."