Yesterday, when I returned from my usual weekly grocery shop the police were blocking the road I normally use the access my house. I asked the officer how far along the road was closed and when he told me I thought I might just manage to get through by a back route.
When I got back to the main road there was another barrier in place across the road just a few hundred yards from my house. I spoke to the police officer and luckily she let me through.
It was obvious there had been an accident and as I looked along the road I could see what looked like a body in the road near the Tesco Metro store. I spoke to a lady who was walking along the road and she confirmed that an elderly gent had been knocked over and had been seriously injured.
Just opposite where the accident occurred is a sheltered housing complex and I wonder if this is where the man lived. It is a busy road and there is a pedestrian crossing a bit further along the road. I am not excusing the fact that he did not use the proper crossings, (I'm guilty of crossing the road where I live to save time), however I can see why it is very tempting for people with limited mobility to try and cross to conserve energy, as my own mother used to do.
I took the photo below from my house, you cannot see all the police activity behind the bushes but you can see the police station in the distance, where there is a bus stop and the pedestrian crossing. The buildings on the right are part of the sheltered housing complex, and on the left is the filling station and shop.
The road was closed all afternoon and I later heard on the news that the gentleman had been taken to a local hospital but so far I haven't been able to find out how he is doing but I'm hoping he pulls through.
Postscript:
5:15pm Sadly I have just seen a newsflash that this 76 yr old gentleman has died. My thoughts are with his family at this sad time.
Archives:
2007: View from the planeLabels: accident, photo, return home, road
At the top of this little street you find a park
Some of the roads are quite steep, which might not be evident from the photos
In the previous picture you can see this house in the distance
Keep going and eventually this imposing Church comes into view.
Some of the avenues had carpets of flowers lining the roads. It really was very pretty
