§ Mr. Peter Millsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the accident on the A30 in the village of Bridestowe, Devon.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsThe police are still investigating the cause of the accident which occurred early on the morning of 15th March, when a laden lorry approaching the village on the A30 trunk road from the Okehampton direction ran through the wall surrounding the school yard and crashed into the school building. I regret that the driver, who was unaccompanied, died of his injuries. No other vehicles were involved, and there were no witnesses.
The trunk road through Bridestowe is inadequate and various possibilities for improving it have been considered, but the only satisfactory answer is to by-pass the village. Such a by-pass would form part of the comprehensive improvement of the Okehampton-Bodmin route which was included in the trunk road preparation pool last June. My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Development will certainly take account of the problems of Bridestowe as an important factor in determining the priority to be given to this work. In the light of the accident, our engineers are considering whether there is anything which can be done immediately to make the road safer. I will be writing to the hon. Member.