Residents call for action at site of scooter death (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Junction at Masham Road, Bedale, was an "accident waiting to happen", say campaigners

8:00am Wednesday 5th September 2012 in News By Janet Gleeson

TRAFFIC CONCERN: Resident Brian Hall at the junction of Firby Road and Masham Road, Bedale, where the fatal crash occurred

CAMPAIGNERS who have battled for ten years for improvements at a dangerous junction say a collision in which an 81-year-old mobility scooter rider died was an accident waiting to happen.

The crash took place in Masham Road, Bedale , North Yorkshire, at the junction with Firby Road on Sunday evening. The pensioner has been named locally as Ron Archbold, who lived just off Firby Road.

His mobility scooter was involved in a collision with a silver Ford Ka, which was being driven out of town on Masham Road.

Brian Hall, who lives in Firby Road, said residents have been fighting since 2002 for a crossing in the area.

He said: “This is a terrible tragedy for Mr Archbold and his family. We don’t know what the circumstances of this are yet, but we do know this is a dangerous junction and this was an accident waiting to happen.

“We have been calling for this for ten years. There are five lanes coming together here and with more than 5,000 vehicles a day using this road and nearly 2,000 going into Firby Road, it is just a nightmare.

“There is sheltered accommodation on both sides of the road for elderly people, with Dales Care, the centre for older people on one side.

“We also have the primary school with hundreds of children and parents, many of them trying to cross the road and not knowing when it’s safe to go. What if a child is hurt?

“The highways department have looked at this and rejected a crossing, but that’s not good enough. Something must be done now.”

Mr Archbold, who lived alone, regularly went to the Dales Care centre for lunch.

A spokesman said he was a very private man who had been going to the centre for about a year.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council said: “This was a tragic accident, and we offer our sincere condolences to the family of the man who was killed.

“As in all such cases, the circumstances surrounding the accident will be examined to establish whether any action is required to prevent similar unfortunate incidents in future.

“It is not possible to comment on this accident before it has been satisfactorily established exactly what happened.

“However, in the meantime we urge the riders of mobility scooters to ensure that they use their vehicles in a manner which is safe both for them and for other road users and pedestrians.”