A coroner has issued a stark warning to National Highways and Hampshire County Council about the urgent need for better maintenance of a flood-prone A road following a fatal crash. The warning comes after 25-year-old James Scott died when his car lost control after hitting standing water on the A33 near Kings Worthy, Hampshire.
Scott was driving southbound on the evening of July 5 last year when the tragedy occurred. His vehicle hit an area of standing water, causing him to lose control before the car turned sideways and crossed into the opposite carriageway.
Fatal collision follows flooding
The car then collided with another vehicle travelling in the opposite direction. Scott sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene of the crash.
An inquest into his death revealed serious drainage problems that had been allowed to persist for years. Two drains beside the southbound lane were compacted with vegetation, causing "little or no surface drainage" from the road despite the area being a known flood risk.
Maintenance schedule questioned
The court heard that annual scheduled maintenance, including clearing gullies and catch pits on either side of the A33, had taken place in May and November 2023. However, this proved insufficient to prevent the dangerous flooding conditions that led to Scott's death.
A temporary flood warning sign had been positioned about eight metres north of the flooding area on the grass verge. Remarkably, this temporary sign had remained in the same location for approximately five years, with ownership disputed between National Highways and Hampshire County Council.
Coroner demands action
Area coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp issued a prevention of future deaths report to both organisations, highlighting the inadequate response to a known hazard. She stated that whilst the precise cause of flooding remained unknown, "a more regular maintenance schedule may have prevented the build-up of vegetation within the gullies and therefore assisted in the drainage of the heavy rainfall experienced that day, thus reducing the amount of surface water present on the road."
The coroner expressed particular concern that only a temporary sign was being used when the area had been recognised as a flood risk for several years. A forensic examiner concluded that the standing water was a contributory factor in both the crash and Scott's death.
September deadline set
Copies of the report were sent to the chief executives of both National Highways and Hampshire County Council, with both organisations required to respond by September 18. Rhodes-Kemp warned: "In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken."
A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said: "We are terribly saddened by this tragic incident and our thoughts remain with Mr Scott's loved ones at this extremely difficult time. We are considering our response to the coroner's report and are unable to comment any further while this process is ongoing."
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
