Father-of-three ‘terrified’ of driving on Coventry Road calls for safety measures after fatal crash

A father-of-three has called for more road safety measures along a “dangerous” city route after a teenager died in a crash. The collision happened on the A45 Coventry Road in Yardley shortly after 6am on Friday July 26.

An 18-year-old man was confirmed dead at the scene, after the car he was traveling in crashed into a tree. Two other men were injured, but police said their injuries were not life-threatening.

“We hear of too many incidents around these parts,” said father Kasim Nawaz, who has lived in Yardley for 40 years. Speaking at the scene, the 54-year-old delivery driver added: “It’s so sad to wake up.

READ MORE: Man killed in Coventry Road collision and two others injured

“I’m terrified to drive on this road. I have a family and I have to do it a lot for work. I’m even more scared for my three kids when they start driving… and one of them is close to (crossing ).”

There have been a number of serious accidents on the main route over the past 12 months. A woman was injured in a suspected hit-and-run incident in April, and a 12-year-old boy was killed in a crash in the area last summer.

Asked if new road safety measures were needed, Kasim said: “No doubt this road is dangerous. There needs to be more speed cameras, for example, and maybe a speed bump.

“If the police came here with a camera or anything, they would see how bad it can be. Drivers who think they own the roads and the rules don’t apply. It’s really bad since I grew up here.”

Upon learning of the teenager’s death this morning, a local trader, who chose to remain anonymous, told us: “How can this happen? I will pray for his family.”

The teenager’s death came less than 12 hours after a pedestrian was killed in a crash on Boldmere Road in Sutton Coldfield. Following the tragedies, road safety group Better Streets For Birmingham released a statement.

It was written: “A heartbreaking morning. Two more lives lost. Two more grieving families. Two more torn communities.

“Our love and solidarity goes out to all those affected by these terrible, preventable tragedies. What will it take for our leaders to respond?”

What did the police say?

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “We are appealing for information after a man died when a car hit a tree in Yardley this morning. We were called to Coventry Road, near the Berkeley Road junction, just after 6am.

“An 18-year-old man in the Hyundai i20 was seriously injured and sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this devastating time.

“Another man in the car suffered minor injuries and another man remains in hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening. Part of the road remains closed while we carry out inquiries – but we expect the route to be full. open in the following hours.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time and has not already spoken to us to introduce us. We are particularly keen to speak to anyone who has dashcam footage.

“You can contact us via Live Chat on our website or by calling 101 and quote log 590 of 26/7/24. Alternatively, message investigators directly via [email protected].”