The tragic death of a Wigan pensioner in a road collision has prompted a new safety campaign from a former mayor
The latest fatality on a busy Wigan road has pushed safety back to the top of a township’s agenda.
Richard Culshaw, 82, was fatally injured when he was hit by a lorry on Preston Road, Standish, on May 15.
The pensioner, who walked with the aid of sticks and was blind in one eye, had just been to his favourite Secret Garden Coffee House and was believed to have been trying to cross the road outside when tragedy struck.
The HGV driver was arrested on suspicion of causing widower Mr Culshaw’s death by careless driving and driving while unfit through drugs.
Standish councillor and former Wigan Mayor Debbie Parkinson is now calling for a crossing to be installed outside the cafe – which is popular with older people and has a bus stop across the road.
She has already persuaded the council and Transport for Greater Manchester to install a refuge on the carriageway outside Lidl, a couple of hundred yards further out of town, after spotting many Standish High pupils dashing across the road in the morning after supermarket visits.
But she says that at the very least now another one needs placing outside Secret Garden, although ideally there should be a pelican crossing so that vehicles are brought to a standstill. A petition for one is attracting a lot of names.
She said: “This is the third death on this road, albeit several years apart, but three too many. The traffic is getting heavier too and something needs to be done.
"It’s a long way to walk down to the next nearest pelican crossing if you are older and you have just been to Secret Garden and want to cross the road to the bus stop, so people are likely to try using the shortest route.
"A refuge is better than nothing but a pelican crossing would be the best option.
"I had a zebra crossing installed on Avondale Road because of problems there and some motorists still take no notice, so really we need something that brings traffic to a stop and allows people to get over safely and that includes me with my granddaughter in her pram.”
Mr Culshaw’s funeral takes place at Standish Methodist Church on Monday June 15 at 1.30pm, followed by a gathering at the Unity Club.