Cumbernauld road narrowed while fatal accident is investigated
01-08-2012. Picture Michael Gillen. CUMBERNAULD. A8011 Wilderness Brae. Car crash involving three cars. Three men died in the crash. Silver Mercedes was travelling north away from town centre and crossed the central reservation crashing into a black Focus. (MG)
WILDERNESS BRAE has been reduced to a single carriageway road northbound while North Lanarkshire Council investigate this week’s fatal car smash.
Councillor James Coyle, North Lanarkshire Council’s convener of planning and transportation, said: “This move follows a meeting with Strathclyde Police and is in response to public concern. It will also allow our engineers to continue their own investigation with a view to introducing further safety measures on this road where appropriate. We would ask all motorists to be aware of the reduced width and adjust their driving technique and speed accordingly.”
A Condorrat man was among three people killed in a horror smash on Wilderness Brae, Cumbernauld, on Wednesday, August 1.
The driver of the silver Mercedes was Greig Brown (30) of Myvot Ave, Condorrat, Cumbernauld.
Neil Harold (34) from the Ralston area of Paisley. was the driver of the Ford Focus and is survived by his wife Laura and two-year old son.
His passenger was Gordon McRae (46), of Sutherland Drive, Airdrie, is survived by his wife Lorna and two girls, aged 18 and 13 years, and nine year old twin boys.
Mr Harold and Mr McRae were work colleagues at an engineering firm in Cumbernauld.
North Lanarkshire Council is reviewing its road safety measures after the accident.
Councillor James Coyle, convener of planning and transportation for North Lanarkshire Council, said: “We are working closely with Strathclyde Police to establish the cause of this dreadful accident and all the circumstances around it.
“The community are understandably deeply concerned about the events of yesterday. We have already launched a review of our safety measures pending the outcome of that investigation and we will make enhancements to those safety measures where appropriate.
“Road safety is a priority for this council. Following the deaths of two people on this road in 2007 we implemented a number of further safety measures. However, any fatal accident is one too many and we will take action based on the findings of the current investigation.
“In the meantime our thoughts are with the families of the victims of these tragic events.”
Strathclyde Police are working to identify what caused the crash.
Inspector Keith Prentice at the divisional road policing unit at Motherwell is urging witnesses to come forward.
He said: “Our enquiries have revealed that several motorists stopped at the scene just after the crash occurred, and I would like to appeal to those people, who may have crucial information, to get in touch with officers.”
He added: “The A8011 is a very busy stretch of road in Cumbernauld which links the town to the M80, and at the time of the crash it would have been busy with vehicles.
‘‘I would urge anyone who may have witnessed the crash and who may have information that can assist with our enquiries to get in touch.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact road policing officers at Motherwell Police Office on 01698 483 000.
A report will be going to the procurator fiscal.
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Within hours of the accident thousands of people had joined an online page calling for extra safety measures on the road, which recently had its speed limit cut from 70mph to 50mph.
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Sunday 26 May 2013
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