A602 safety petition launched by sisters of crash victim

Ollie Gatfield, 19, tragically died in the accident while Liam Sharpe, 18, who was in the same car, was seriously injured.

The car they were travelling in crashed into a tree on the A602 Park Way in Hitchin, close to the junction with Charlton Road, which some residents have long argued is a danger spot. Hertfordshire police have not yet determined the cause of the crash.

Now Liam's sisters, Holly and Sophie, have begun collecting signatures for a petition that they hope will improve safety on a road that they say has seen a "countless" number of crashes.

On the Change.org petition, Holly and Sophie say: "We as a family and community are suffering the effects of this dangerous road as a lack of negligence.

"We feel passionately about improving this road so no more lives are lost and no more families have to suffer as a result, by making changes which could include reconfiguring the road layout, traffic lights, speed cameras alongside installing crash barriers.

A moving tribute was paid to Ollie Gatfield and Liam Sharpe before Stevenage's match against Blackpool earlier this month. (Image: TGS Photo)

"How many people need to tragically lose their lives until a change is made?"

A previous safety campaign was run by residents between 2010 and 2012, with Paul O'Shaughnessy finding that of 53,000 vehicles using the route per week at that time, 12,000 were travelling at prosecutable levels.

He called for measures such as a roundabout, resurfacing and speed calming to be introduced.

Some changes were eventually made in 2014, after eight people were injured in crashes at the junction over the three-year period up to December 2012. The county council spent almost £90k modifying the junction to prevent motorists turning right from Park Way into Charlton Road.

But in the months following the changes, residents continued to argue that the junction was too dangerous.

John Pearce, who had asked for a mini roundabout to be introduced instead, told the Comet at the time that “the new layout did nothing to address safety issues and indeed made things worse". Holly and Sophie's statement for their petition echoes his views.

Stevenage's players applaud during the tribute to Ollie and Liam against Blackpool. (Image: TGS Photo)

Another resident, Margaret Avery, said in 2014: “I’m afraid the highest cost of all will be paid in human life and it will take these fatalities to ultimately change this ill-conceived, nonsensical layout.”

Holly and Sophie are hoping that their petition will provide the impetus for safety changes to be made.

You can add your name to their petition by visiting https://www.change.org/p/improve-a602-park-way-charlton-way-hitchin-for-road-users. To sign, you must also click the verification email.

Since launching last Thursday (February 22), it has already garnered almost 400 signatures.

Responding to this story, a spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council said: “Our thoughts are with those affected by the recent tragic incident on the A602.”

“It is understandable that loved ones will ask why this happened, and we are working closely with Hertfordshire police as they investigate the possible causes.”