Crash mum calls for road action

December 21, 2005

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PROTEST: Callum’s mum Roseanne Kay and dad Gareth Hughes.

HUNDREDS of people backed a mum, whose teenage son was killed in a motorbike accident, in her fight for better roads.

Callum Hughes, 16, hit a pothole in Bayley Street, Stalybridge, and lost control of his moped, sliding into the path of an oncoming lorry. He was killed instantly.

His mum Roseanne Kay, of Forester Drive, Stalybridge, protested outside Ashton town hall on Saturday on the second anniversary of his death.

More than 500 people signed her petition, calling for drastic improvements on the borough's highways and byways.

She said: "At times they were queuing up to sign it. Everyone was sympathetic and agreed the roads are in a poor state of repair.

"A considerable number of people commented on the state of the manhole cover Callum hit and how long it had been in that condition."

Callum, a talented student, was riding the scooter to college for the first time, having bought L-plates the night before. Just hours after the smash in December 2003, workmen were pictured repairing the section of road where the crash occurred.

An investigation last week revealed another manhole had sunken dangerously on the same stretch. Measurements taken by the Advertiser showed it was below the highway department's own 50mm trigger mark for repair. Tameside Council insisted an inspection had been carried out in August and no repairs at that spot were needed.

But Roseanne claimed she had been monitoring it for two years and it had been "missed".

Engineers have since repaired the manhole in question.

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ex patt, USA (25/12/2005 at 06:26)

This is a typical Tamside action.
When will the councel wake up to its responsibility regarding
people who live there.

Jackie Butcher, london (26/12/2005 at 22:16)

Why tell such lies in order to cover up incompentancies. Lives are being lost, it could have been prevented.

M, Just outside London (27/12/2005 at 18:52)

A young life has already been lost, a tragedy for Callum and his family.

The council need to prevent such "accidents". Why should it take a tragedy like this for officials to take preventative action?

Dorothy Wright, Chester (27/12/2005 at 19:27)

It would appear that the saving of money by central government,local government and employers, by skimping on safety is puting more and more lives at risk.It's time people were held to account and made individually responsible.It's too easy to pass the buck.

Steve Taylor, Stalybridge (27/12/2005 at 20:12)

Tameside Council are clever at telling us that they are a good council, when we know the reality, an uncaring council who are only interested in their image and not of their residents, a precious young life has been lost due to the councils negligence and they choose to hide behind solicitors and excuses, instead we have lost our dear boy, please do not let it happen to anybody else.

yvonne stamp, Reading (27/12/2005 at 20:45)

Why does it always take a tragedy before action is taken. Lives are lost when they could be avoided. This accident should not have been allowed to have happened. This young life was taken as the result of someones incompetence, someone not ensuring that our roads are safe to use. My condolences are sent to Callums family.

F.Charles, london (27/12/2005 at 22:21)

A young life is lost and a family devastated and all the council beaurocrats seem to care about is covering up their incompetence. They should be far more concerned about preventing further tragedies.

Frances Speakman, East London (27/12/2005 at 22:57)

Tameside's Highways Dept, must take the blame for the loss of this talented young man's life.

Enough is paid in road tax and we expect safe roads, not roads that kill!! This is just gross negligence on the part of the council for their complete disregard for safety and attempted 'cover up' of the situation.

Marc, Newcastle under lyme (16/01/2006 at 20:57)

Its far easier to spend the money paid in road tax on fixing the road than wasting resources on a cover up - which our tax ultimately has to pay for - Now someone is dead. You cant take that back so learn the lesson or get out and let someone who cares do the job

collette, rossendale (16/03/2006 at 13:49)

i am disgusted at councels, the roads in rossendale, are a major hazzard to bikers, and over 10 years since ive lived here thay have gotten worse..thay just dont seem to care about peoples safty

peter walker, stalybridge (06/06/2006 at 19:34)

I own a scooter myself and have been using that stretch of road for at least ten years.The manhole in question has been in the same condition of disrepair for all that time.The fact the council lie and say that it had been checked and it was fine makes me sick to my stomach.Why can't an adult in charge of the appropriate department who knows it was faulty admit they are to blame instead of covering things up all the time,but expecting anyone working for the council especially management to have a backbone is just too much to ask.

claire, dukinfeild (16/02/2007 at 01:02)

tameside council is sad all they care about is there propeties when we complaiain they do`nt want to no truley tameside council sucks it`s wrong it take`s something bad to happen for them to take notice but then yhey do`nt thy fob you of claire dukinfeild

carol, glasgow (14/05/2007 at 20:32)

What I have just watched,[Tonight, 14/05/07] was not an accident , and to say so infers blame on a young and completely innocent man. Rather it was gross negligence on the Local Authority's part, and due to this a family has been devastated. This crime must not go unpunished. And it is a crime.People were paid no doubt obscene salaries, funded by tax payers money to do a job- and by not doing the job their gross negligence facilitated the death of this young man and the devestation of his family.

scott mckay, leeds west yorkshire (14/05/2007 at 20:36)

hi, my name is scott mckay im from leeds and im 17. i was 16 when i crashed my scooter (gilera runner sp 50cc). i hit a pot hole on lingfield drive, moortown, leeds when i come off my scooter at 30 mph. i had 70% damage to my left arm 20% damage to my knees and hips. i have just watched tonight with trevor mcdonald and it give me a cold shiver up my back and im trying to look into pothole accidents. i am trying to get a claim from my accident and i would like to sign a petition for u if it would help you please get intouch and send me a form to sign to scottybo104@hotmail.com thank you from scott mckay (leeds)

P.Wilson, Dukinfield (05/07/2007 at 15:52)

Sad to say but the none repair
of roads in Tameside is still a major problem. There is not a stretch of road in Tameside without a grid or manhole cover that is not level with the road.Are the council waiting for another death before we can expect reasonable repairs.As an example.
The manhole cover at the traffic light junction King Street ans Astley Street is approx 100mm below road level, this along with many more through out Tameside, WANT MORE BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS TAMESIDE COUNCIL

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