Claverley crash victim steps up speed cut calls
A man who was forced to retire due to injury after his car was hit by a drunk driver in Shropshire has launched a campaign to get the speed limit reduced near his home.
John McSherry ran the Poplar Cottage tearooms in Claverley with his wife Michelle until the accident in 2009. Both were temporarily wheelchair-bound following the head-on smash on the B4176 and Mr McSherry's mobility has since been reduced due to his injuries.
Today the 61-year-old revealed he had contacted MP Philip Dunne, Shropshire Council and Claverley Parish Council about the 'treacherous' road, claiming a recent oil spill could have led to someone else getting hurt.
Van driver Darren Sullivan's van broke down and leaked oil onto the carriageway. Mr McSherry's son Daniel stayed by the spillage for more than four hours to alert motorists to the danger.
John McSherry said: "My son, Daniel, rang the police and the highways department for assistance at 5.30pm on Friday because it was a major spillage. During this time my son stayed by the spillage because he knew how dangerous it was and flashed motorists to slow down, but hardly any took any notice.
"A van from the highways department turned up at 7pm and placed a little sign with no lights. Nobody did anything else until a gritter turned up at about 9pm. Had it not been for Daniel, who made the decision to stay there, there would have been an accident. The incident made me decide to start my campaign for slower traffic again so I will be contacting the police, highways, Shropshire Council, Claverley Parish Council and the MP about it."
Anthony Gordon, 37, who was more than three-and-a-half times the legal drink-drive limit, was killed in the crash that injured Mr and Mrs McSherry.
Alice Dilly, Shropshire Council's principal engineer for road safety, said: "This is a road targeted for mobile speed camera enforcement by the West Mercia Safer Roads Partnership. Speeding concerns have in the past been raised and as such the route has been taken on board as a 'community concern site', and is enforced accordingly."
