A120 campaign: remembering some of the tragic incidents

The A120: Road to Safety campaign, which highlights the ongoing concerns about the impact it has on residents of Essex, launched last week.[1] Its main two aims is to raise awareness for the need for safety measures and to put the A120 dualling scheme back on the agenda, which residents have called for [2]. The stretch of road [3] between Marks Tey and Braintree, and then Horsley Cross and Parkeston have had many accidents over the last 26 years.

We're remembering some of the people who sadly lost their lives due to incidents on the A120 over the last 11 years. On April 16, this year, 20-year-old Sirus Botha died after a crash in Coggeshall Road in Bradwell near the junction with Doghouse Road. During an inquest into his death [4], the court heard he was riding solo on his motorbike in the afternoon with a group of other bikers when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with a lamppost.

On the same day, father-of-four Gavin Kennedy, 42, was riding on his motorbike from his home in Earls Colne towards Colchester. Gone but not forgotten - Gavin Kennedy pictured in the middle with his family (Image: Family handout) Mr Kennedy died after a crash on the dual carriageway between Braintree and Coggeshall, his family paid tribute to him, saying he is "always going to live on in all of us."[5]

Last year, pensioner Diane Taylor, 74, died following a collision on the A120 between Bradwell and Coggeshall on August 13. An inquest held in July [6] heard Mrs Taylor had been driving a Mercedes Benz towards Coggeshall at 2.40pm when she drifted into the oncoming carriageway and struck a Volvo lorry. In 2023, a pedestrian, 54, died on November 16 on the Stansted-bound carriageway of the A120 after a collision with a vehicle [7].

There were five deaths along the A120 in 2022. David Edmunds, 82, of Wrabness, died following a collision on the A120 between his Volvo V40 and a blue Transit van at the junction with Primrose Lane on February 14 shortly before 1.50pm. David Edmunds who died on the A120 in 2022 (Image: Edmunds Family)

Mr Edmunds was remembered as a "loving husband and father".[8] Pensioner Sadie Sims, 84, of Harwich [9], was a passenger in a silver Daihatsu involved in a two-vehicle collision in Wix along the A120. She sadly died as a result of her injuries on April 3.

Marley Kline, 18,[10] was driving a quadbike which left the road on the Colchester-bound A120 at Great Bromley on March 27. He sustained serious injuries and later died in hospital on April 6. Sad - Marley Kline

Brian Annett, 54, of Dovercourt, died at the scene on the A120 between Ramsey and Parkeston following a collision on May 6 involving two lorries, two cars, and a motorcycle driven by Mr Annett.[11][12] Nicola Frost, 40, died after her Suzuki Ignis was struck by a Mercedes Sprinter van being driven by Piotr Bebacz on the A120 at Ramsey, in December.[13][14] RIP - Nicola Frost (Image: Essex Police)

In 2020, Levi Bates, 19, died after a white Mercedes and a white Peugeot crashed along the A120 near Coggeshall on August 1.[15] Two years earlier in 2018, three people died due to separate incidents on the A120, they were Aironas Gzimaila, 23, Robbie Trundley, 20, and Susan Herbet, 36.[16][17][18] In 2017, three people died, including Sinah Connah [19], 80, Jean Childs [20], 80, and Jill Seaman [21], 72.

Brendan Williams, 21, who died in the crash on the A120

Between 2014 to 2016, four people sadly died, Ken Salmon, 90, Richard Graham, 61, Ronald Anthony Scannell, 72, and 21-year-old Colchester soldier Brendan Williams all lost their lives on the road.[22][23][24][25]

References

^ last week. (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ have called for (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ The stretch of road (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ During an inquest into his death (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ "always going to live on in all of us." (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ An inquest held in July (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ after a collision with a vehicle (www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk)
^ "loving husband and father". (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ Pensioner Sadie Sims, 84, of Harwich (www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk)
^ Marley Kline, 18, (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ collision on May 6 (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ and a motorcycle driven by Mr Annett. (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ died after her Suzuki Ignis was struck by a Mercedes Sprinter van (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ in December. (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ on August 1. (www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk)
^ Aironas Gzimaila (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ Robbie Trundley (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ Susan Herbet, 36. (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ Sinah Connah (www.harwichandmanningtreestandard.co.uk)
^ Jean Childs (www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk)
^ Jill Seaman (www.harwichandmanningtreestandard.co.uk)
^ Ken Salmon, 90 (www.gazette-news.co.uk)
^ Richard Graham (www.harwichandmanningtreestandard.co.uk)
^ Ronald Anthony Scannell (www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk)
^ Brendan Williams all lost their lives on the road. (www.gazette-news.co.uk)