The shocking death of Natasha Thorp in Sutton Coldfield has triggered calls for action
The family of Natasha Thorp killed when a car struck her in Brassington Avenue in Sutton Coldfield have paid tribute to ‘one in a million Tasha’ and said she will ‘never be forgotten'(Image: West Midlands Police)
A plea has gone out for urgent traffic calming measures on a Sutton Coldfield road where a beloved young woman died.
The call for action was made at a full meeting of Birmingham City Council as the devastated family and friends of Natasha Thorp come to terms with their loss.
Natasha, known as Tash, was struck by a car in Brassington Avenue in the town centre shortly before midnight on Friday, August 22.
READ MORE: Family pays tribute to ‘one-in-a-million Tasha’ killed in Sutton Coldfield road crash
The tragedy is still under police investigation.
A question pressing for traffic calming measures on the road was put by resident Nicola Cooper on behalf of the grieving community to a full council meeting, Tuesday September 16.
She told the council: “Natasha (Tash) was the most amazing, lovely, funny and thoughtful person you could ever meet. She was involved in the fatal accident on Brassington Avenue at such a young age.
“This could have been avoided if there were stricter safety measures on that stretch of road.
“We, the residents, are here to ask that the (council leaders) work with highways engineers and Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council to come up with a workable solution to prevent more unnecessary deaths from happening.
“Speeding around this area has long been an issue and we urgently need to address the situation.
“Given that speed reduction measures are being implemented across Birmingham, can we also add this site to the current plans in addition to speed bumps or other more effective road safety measures before there are any more fatal accidents?”
Friends and family mourn the loss of Natasha Thorp. A wall of photos and flowers was put up at the scene of her death in Brassington Avenue, Sutton Coldfield.
In response highways cabinet member Coun Majid Mahmood shared his condolences for the tragic death.
He said: “I have been briefed on the horrific fatal collision that took place in Brassington Avenue, and my thoughts are firmly with Natasha’s loved ones. I cannot at this stage comment on any of the details of the collision or commit to specific action that might prejudice the police investigation into this matter.”
But he said: “Birmingham was recently ranked as the most car-dependent city in Europe.
“The negative impacts of this mean our residents are exposed to significantly increased risk of road harm because too many drivers flout the rules of the road.
“The council’s traditional approach to managing this issue, through implementation of traditional traffic calming measures, is becoming increasingly ineffective. This is because vehicle design has improved to the point where these features (speed humps) can be driven over in excess of 40-50mph.
“In light of this, the council is moving away from investing in these measures, and is taking bold steps to increase control on the main roads network, as well as dramatically reducing the amount of vehicular traffic passing through residential areas to reduce the risk of road harm systemically across the city.”
This included the development of a road harm reduction strategy that included a new fatal collision response protocol.
“After a fatal collision takes place in Birmingham, a collision risk panel is convened between the council, the police, the fire service and the coroner. This enables partners to share important information, and identify appropriate action post-collision. One of these will be held for the collision in Brassington Avenue in the coming weeks.
“We are also investing to actively redesign streets to make them much safer and more pleasant. This included a £25m investment in Sutton Coldfield town centre on a gateway scheme, in partnership with the town council and Transport for West Midlands, to transform Brassington Avenue and its approaches, improving access and safety for all visitors to the town centre.”
West Midlands Police confirmed one man had been arrested and was on bail pending further investigations into the crash.