A family has called for a road on the outskirts of Scunthorpe to be closed to traffic after two fatalities in the past five years.
Tragically, Owen Newton, 17, of Westcliff, died on Brumby Common Lane in a collision with a tree. An inquest at Grimsby Town Hall heard it was in the same location that Bailey Granger, 18, of Scunthorpe, died in a collision in January 2020.
Brumby Common Lane, known locally as Farmers’ Lane, was formerly a 60mph limit road but this has been reduced to 40mph since the tragedies. Owen, an apprentice electrical engineer who worked for Howdens, was driving his silver Ford Fiesta when he lost control on the uneven single track road and collided with a tree at 10pm on March 9 last year.
He died in Hull Royal Infirmary on March 20 due to a head injury. He had just past his driving test 10 days before the fatal collision, the inquest heard.
His grandmother, Lisa Newton, told the inquest: “Owen is not going to be the last on that road. It needs to be closed and gated.”
In tribute, his mother Kelly Newton said: “I wish you could have met him. He was the kindest of people. He was such a big-hearted boy and loved his family. He worked hard at school and qualified for one of the 30 places at HETA engineering college and he also got an apprenticeship with Howdens. We were all really proud of him.
(Image: Kelly Newton)
“He was the best son we could have wished for. It is absolutely devastating. Why does it always happen to the good ones? He would always give me a kiss every day. I had him when I was 18 years old. We grew up together. He was so loved by everyone. He loved football and was an avid Scunthorpe United fan. He adored football. I wish I had seen the man he would become.”
Owen was driving three friends in the car when he lost control between Scotter Road and Burringham Road, Scunthorpe, after visiting McDonald’s at Lakeside.
The car left the road in bad weather conditions and struck a tree. The passengers recalled all hitting their heads on the roof of the car as it went over a hump in the road. They said the speed of the car was between 30 to 60 mph and confirmed the driver was not distracted by anything at the time.
They all got out after kicking a door open, but Owen was trapped for over 30 minutes as emergency services battled to free him. He was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary, where he sadly died on March 20 last year.
Forensic collision investigator Michael Brough said there were signs on the road warning drivers of the uneven surface. He said there was a hump in the road which had been travelled over at speed which contributed to the loss of control.
He said: “Although the condition of the road surface may appear a contributory factor, due to the hump, it must be taken into consideration, the speed of the Ford as it travelled over it. When these factors are combined with adverse weather conditions, this could pose a risk to road users, if not handled appropriately.
“However, it must be noted the hump can be travelled over safely, if driven at an appropriate speed for the condition of the road. The cause of the collision must rest with the actions of the driver who failed to drive suitably for the conditions of the weather and the conditions of the road, causing him to lose control of the car.”
He said he was unable to give a more precise speed of the car, even though the car crashed registering 40mph on its clock.
Assistant coroner for Greater Lincolnshire, Marianne Johnson, said it was not possible to state what speed the car was travelling at when it went over the hump in the road. She concluded the driver died as a result of a road traffic collision.
She passed her condolences to friends and family of Owen. She said: “He sounds like a lovely child. I am sure you were proud of him. It must have been an horrendous time and someone so young makes it even more horrendous.”
After the hearing, Owen’s grandmother Lisa Newton said there was no lighting on the road. “It is time to close the road. There have been two fatalities and other accidents. You can’t even drive on the road safely at 30mph. We all worry about people driving to the fishing lakes and wedding venue along there in the dark,” she said.
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
