The family of a man that was killed while on his bike say the junction is not safe and needs to be changed.
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00:00So we're here in Aldridge and it's a Chester Road junction with Lazy Hill yeah and
00:09White bike probably gives an indication that something's happened. Jane, you lost your ex-husband?
00:14Yes, he knocked up his bike on this junction
00:18Last year on the 11th of Feb
00:20That was your dad?
00:22Yeah, he was a very keen cyclist
00:24Member of the Pelstal Cycling Club
00:26He was a member of Pelstal Cycling Club
00:28Yeah, and he's raised a lot of money for charity as well through his cycling
00:32So he was coming down the hill
00:34He was coming down this main road
00:36Down the hill
00:38The driver stopped, looked both sides
00:40and pulled out
00:42saying he didn't see him
00:44and hit him right on that junction
00:46He was crossing this road to our right here
00:48He was off to his grandparents, yes
00:50And that was a 19 year old lad
00:52I did just pass his test in November
00:54So he said that he couldn't see him
00:57And he just drove straight out
00:59He drove straight over and hit him
01:01And what happened to him
01:03as a consequence for that?
01:05It took over 12 months
01:07for it to finally get to court
01:09We had it in April 1st at Dudley
01:11And then it went to
01:13May
01:15And then it went to
01:17Magistrates at Wolverhampton
01:19And it was done
01:21He got charged
01:23by the CPS
01:25And got 2 years community service
01:27£180,000
01:29paid for
01:31He's a free man
01:33Even the judge said you're a free man
01:35The insurance will sort it out
01:37And what would you
01:39like to see
01:41done different?
01:43I understand there's been a number of quite serious crashes here
01:45There's been 4 now since
01:472002
01:49I want traffic lights
01:51Just to make it safe, I don't want no more families
01:53going through this
01:55It's the shock and the aftermath
01:57Well it's changed your life hasn't it?
01:59It's changed our life completely
02:01It really has
02:03So Wendy
02:05We've got the MP here
02:07So is it MP and local residents?
02:09Is that what we've got here?
02:11It's councillors
02:13So Wendy what's your thoughts on
02:15I mean
02:17It seems like something needs to be done
02:19And this accident
02:21Crucially wasn't involved in speeding was it?
02:23Well I know
02:25I've known Jane and her family for a long time
02:27So when Jane approached me
02:29To ask her for support
02:31Then obviously I was very very keen
02:33To do that but standing here this morning
02:35You can see the volume of traffic
02:37You can see
02:39How busy this junction is
02:41And you know as Jane very rightly
02:43Has said, nobody wants to see anybody
02:45Go through this
02:47So I will give the support that I can
02:49Well I mean
02:51There's lots of busy junctions
02:53And if we did stuff with all of them
02:55It'd cost a fortune but
02:57There's not necessarily lots of busy junctions
02:59Where there's been four serious accidents in such a proximity
03:01So as local councillors
03:03You'd echo that something needs to be done
03:05Something needs to change
03:07Yeah?
03:09Yeah we're absolutely together on this
03:11For years and years residents have been
03:13Saying how dangerous it is
03:15And it's near misses every day
03:17Which if you stand here you can witness that
03:19There is a willingness
03:21On Walsall to do something
03:23But we'd like to push them to do even more
03:25Than what they're planning to do
03:27So yes
03:29Improvements definitely need to be made
03:31It's all of the residents as well
03:33Who talk about these junctions
03:35So we're technically
03:37We stand in Aldridge but we're just over the road
03:39Eastonnell that's where we're here
03:41And the white bike Jane
03:43That's a
03:45I've seen it before but it's a way of paying tribute to cyclists
03:47Isn't it?
03:49It is, it originally started in Holland
03:51And then took off in America
03:53It's actually called a ghost bike
03:55So they're put up where
03:57Cyclists have got killed
03:59On the roads
04:01No matter who's at fault
04:03But it's just to remember
04:05That cyclists have got killed
04:07And that they won't get forgotten
04:09And as a reminder to
04:11Other users that
04:13Cyclists have got killed here
04:15So it's a visual way
04:17Of not just expressing grief
04:19But as a learning curve
04:21And to remember
04:23And this is what we did
04:25About road placing there
04:27All of the CLEs around
04:29As well
04:31So you'll be leaving some of the flowers there on the bike
04:33And putting the sign up on the lamppost
04:35As a tribute
04:37To where it happened
04:39Any final words?
04:41If you've lost your dad
04:43If that's the life changing
04:45You're only a young man aren't you?
04:47What are your thoughts about
04:49The junction and what's happened?
04:51Something's got to be done
04:53Yeah
04:55Well thank you
04:57For inviting us down guys
04:59And telling us your story
05:01And sorry to meet you under such sad circumstances
05:11Do you want me to hold it?
05:13Yeah
05:35So Jane
05:37You're just putting the sign up here
05:39On the lamppost
05:41Did he hit one of these?
05:43Did he?
05:45Yeah
05:47And what's the
05:49What's the logo on the bottom there?
05:51This is Road Peace
05:53Who is Road Peace then Jane?
05:55It's a national charity that was set up
05:57I don't know the full history
05:59But they support victims
06:01Of road incidences
06:03Yeah
06:05Obviously a lot of the word now
06:07Is what a crash is
06:09But if an aeroplane was to fall
06:11It's called a crash
06:13Not an accident
06:15If I spell over a cup of tea
06:17It's an accident
06:19But there's a lot of
06:21You've still gone out and killed someone
06:23Whether it's your mentor or an adult
06:25It's got to get judged