Express & Star

Family of safari park worker killed in crash campaigning for speed limits on Midland road

The family of a young man killed in a crash are campaigning for speed limits to be reduced on sections of the road where he died in a bid prevent further accidents.

Published

West Midland Safari Park worker Mitchel Bow, aged 21, died after losing control of his blue VW Golf sending him into the path of an oncoming Land Rover on January 15.

Following an inquest into his death, his father Lee has revealed a Facebook page had been set up appealing for the speed limit to be reduced on the windy section of Ribbesford Road in Stourport after a police officer suggested the 60mph limit was too fast.

He said: "We are gathering our evidence of accidents and we are using a database and we are trying to find out if there have been a lot of accidents in that area.

"In the long term we want to stop another family going through what we have gone through."

At the inquest on Monday a statement from West Mercia police traffic officer Graham Powell was read out to the court.

Mr Powell said: "For certain parts of the road, this (60mph) is too high a level, but there are other sections where this speed is easily attainable."

Senior coroner Geraint Williams recorded a verdict of accidental death at the hearing.

Mitchel, who lived with his fiancée Jenna had been described as 'honest, trustworthy and always helpful to everyone he met' by his devastated family.

Before his death, he had recently completed his Level 3 NVQ in engineering while working at the Bewdley safari park and his father Lee said he was 'completely dedicated' to his job. He added: "There were three parts to Mitchel, his family and friends, his fiancé who he was besotted with and his commitment to the safari park.

"He had always had an interest in motorbikes, cars and engineering and was wielding spanners from the moment he could pick things up.

"I called him my 'technology officer', he was very much from this generation and whether it was computers, phones, cars or whatever, and he would know how to fix it.

"Mitchel was larger than life. Everybody loved him, and if they didn't he would easily turn them around within five minutes. In every picture he has a big cheesy grin on his face which is how everybody will remember him.

"Mitchel was reliable, honest, trustworthy and always helpful to everyone he met.

"He would even stop at the side of the road to help people out but he was humble with it and didn't expect anything from anyone in return."

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.