Fatal hit-and-run in Old Milton Road, New Milton, sparks council call for more speed detectors

A HIT-and-run collision which claimed the life of an elderly pedestrian prompted a New Milton councillor to call for more speed detectors.

Sharing his sadness about last Thursday’s incident in Old Milton Road, Cllr Alvin Reid told last night’s (Monday) meeting that members needed to address concerns over motorists flouting its 30mph limit.

“It made me wonder what we as a town council can do to help residents and work with Hampshire [County Council] highways to try to address the road and try to prevent further lives being lost,” he said.

As reported by the A&T, a woman in her 70s was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident which took place around 7.20pm and is being investigated by police.

Officers arrested a 25-year-old local man on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by due care while over the prescribed limit, and causing death by driving a vehicle while unlicensed or uninsured.

He was also held under suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, failing to stop after a road accident and driving a vehicle while over the alcohol limit, and later released under investigation.

Keen to source up to four new speed indicator devices (SIDs), Cllr Alvin Reid asked the full council to immediately approve his proposal.

“These devices that would give an indication of the driver’s speed, alert the driver to their speed and, most importantly, record the results,” he explained.

“We should purchase up to another four speed indicator devices to help the police and Hampshire highways appreciate that there is an issue of speeding in the town.”

But some councillors felt such a move needed to go through committees before being given the go-ahead.

Cllr Geoff Blunden pointed out costings would have to be discussed, with each SID worth over £3,000. Although this would be covered by community infrastructure levy money, he added there would be ongoing use costs.

Mayor and chairman Cllr Keith Craze said: “It’s always difficult to measure a life against cost, but I do think we need to go through the system.”

Other councillors supported Cllr Reid’s call for immediate action, prompting a vote which saw it carried by a majority, with two abstentions.

Cllr David Hawkins was the only member to vote against, having argued a SID would not have prevented last Thursday’s death. He also believed it was undemocratic to not first review the proposal alongside other options through committees.

However, Cllr Reid said: “We have the money for extraordinary actions and I think this is an extraordinary action.

“I think this would be a good way of showing that we care and will look into taking any measures needed.”

The county council has said officers from the casualty reduction partnership it leads will work closely with police to establish the circumstances of last Thursday's collision, but added it was too early to speculate on the cause.

Anyone with information, particularly those with dash cam footage, should contact Hampshire police on 101, quoting incident reference number 44220117365.