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Coroner Warns Council Over Deadly Road Hazards
20 Jul
Summary
- Elderly pedestrian fatally injured after walking frame wheel caught in road.
- Coroner issues report over concerns with road damage assessments.
- Family states death was not a natural way for a 'feisty' woman to go.
A coroner has alerted Nottinghamshire Council to serious concerns regarding road safety after an 87-year-old woman's fatal fall. Beryl Barrett died on Christmas Day, six days after tripping on Church Street in Warsop. Her walking frame's wheel became lodged in the road, leading to a fall that fractured her hip.
The inquest determined her death was accidental, with the fall being a significant contributing factor alongside existing health issues. Assistant coroner Nathanael Hartley will issue a report to the council and its contractor, highlighting worries about how reported road damage is assessed.
Barrett's family described her as a vibrant, independent woman active in her community and church. They expressed distress that her death resulted from a fall on a poorly maintained road, rather than natural causes. The coroner emphasized that without the fall, she would not have died when she did.
