Calls for improvements to fatal accident junction (From Daily Echo)

Calls for improvements to fatal accident junction

9:17am Friday 3rd October 2008 in

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FRESH calls have been made for safety improvements at a notorious junction which claimed the life of a popular Hampshire schoolboy.

Cyclist Aarron Keeping, 12, was killed in a collision with a car at a busy junction in the New Forest village of Bransgore.

As dozens of mourners continued to leave flowers at the scene, councillors today renewed their safety plea.

Cricket-mad Aarron, who lived in Burnt House Lane, had apparently been trying to cross Burley Road from the Crown Inn forecourt when his bicycle was in collision with a Ford Focus.

The parish council says it has been attempting to improve the partially-blind corner.

But councillors say their calls have been falling on deaf ears because – until now – there had been no fatalities there to justify expenditure.

Now Bransgore ward New Forest district councillor John Penwarden says it is time for action to prevent a repeat tragedy.

He said: “I support anything to improve the junction.”

Tributes poured in after the tragedy on Tuesday afternoon.

Aarron was captain of Bransgore Under-13s cricket team. Michael Towers, whose son Ben was a friend, said: “Aarron was the best batsman in the village of his age, probably the best all-rounder, and he was captain. He would have had a future that could have lasted him all his life.”

Aunt Emma Pidgley said: “He’s going to be sadly missed. He was very outgoing and had lots of friends.”

Aarron was the son of Freda and Martin Keeping. He leaves an older brother, Robert, and a younger sister, Leah.

The 25-year-old Ford Focus driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and bailed until December.