Traffic police monitor speeding at site of fatal Portchester crash

Roads policing officers were in Down End Road, Portchester, on June 29 – just days after a 21-year-old woman died in a crash.

As reported, she was a passenger in a Ford Fiesta that came off the road at around 12.40am.

The driver of a Ford Transit, a 29-year-old man from Cosham, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

On Monday Hampshire’s roads policing team tweeted: ‘Speed enforcement. Down End Road, Fareham. Consider this your “warning”.’

Last week residents called for ‘overdue’ road safety measures to be put in place on the ‘dangerous’ stretch of road where a young woman was killed in a car accident.

It is not yet established what caused this accident but people living nearby said speed was a problem on the road.

Locals told The News there have been several crashes on the road where a sharp downward bend follows the ‘narrow’ railway bridge heading towards Cams Hill.

Resident James Bennett said: ‘I’ve asked for a flashing 30mph sign but was told they don’t work.

‘Something needs to be done whether it is ramps or priority passing. It is a tragedy for her family.’

Others called for speed cameras to be installed just before the railway bridge heading down to the stretch where the speed limit changes to 30mph.

‘We don’t let our children play out the front,’ one man said. ‘A neighbour had a car crash into her wall previously and there’s been other collisions.

‘We’ve asked for the road to be reduced to 20mph but I think speed cameras would be more effective.’

Putting down road humps and widening the railway bridge were also ideas floated by residents who said they had lobbied authorities for changes.

Buses and lorries, which are not meant to use the bridge, are also regularly seen travelling over it.

The road is a cut-through onto the M27 and Fareham from Portsdown Hill.

Brigid Edmunds, 39, who lives just yards from where the crash happened, said: ‘You can’t have pedestrians and cars on the bridge at the same time because it is so narrow.

‘There was a head-on collision there last summer where an old couple had to be cut out of their vehicle.

‘We don’t want it to be a single track.’

Brigid’s husband Stuart, 47, said: ‘It’s horrendous to hear what happened - 21 is so young.

‘I have children and it makes me worry. ’

Another woman, who lives close to the bridge and heard the accident, said: ‘There was a loud bang. It was horrible. One poor family has lost their daughter.

‘It shouldn’t take this to happen for something to be done.

‘Changes are overdue. It is dangerous. There have been four serious crashes in the last two years.’

‘The bridge is a tight squeeze for two cars. They could widen the bridge or footpath or put humps on the road.’

Yesterday a tweet from Fareham police added: ‘This weekend RPU have been patrolling around Fareham.

‘Issues have been addressed including speeding, seat belts and construction and use offences.

‘On Sunday evening following enquiries, a driver was identified and arrested for drink driving, fail to stop and (taking without consent).’

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