'Change needs to be made' says family of dad and husband killed on 'dangerous' road
The family of a man who was killed by a young driver last year has called for changes to be made to the 'dangerous' road.
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Devoted Walsall fan and father, Alan Preston, was cycling on the A452 Chester Road and Lazy Hill, near Stonnall on February 11 last year when he was tragically struck by a young driver and killed.
The 58-year-old, who was a member of Pelsall Cycling Club, was knocked off of his bike by Alfie Swann who had only just passed his test, sustaining severe head injuries. Sadly, he died in hospital 13 days later.
Now, Alan's wife and son have called for action to be taken to improve safety measures on the road, with Aldridge and Brownhills MP Wendy Morton backing the family.
Talking about the tragic incident, Alan's wife, Jayne Preston, said: "He was a very keen cyclist, he was a member of Pelsall Cycling Club and he helped raise a lot of money for charity by cycling.
"He was travelling down the hill and the driver stopped and looked on both sides, but he [the driver] just didn't see him when he went onto the junction."
The 19-year-old driver had only passed his test in November 2022.
He claimed he didn't see the cyclist before being sentenced to two years of community service at Wolverhampton Crown Court in June this year.
Jayne said: "He's a free man. There have been four crashes here since 2002. I want traffic lights here just to make it safer. It's the shock and the aftermath. I don't want any other family going through what we have been through."
MP Wendy Morton also joined the protest with a number of other residents, backing the call for more safety precautions to be taken on the road.
Ms Morton said: "I've known Jayne and her family for a long time, so when she approached more for support I was very keen to help with this.
"Standing here this morning, you can see the volume of traffic, you can see how busy it is. Like Jayne said, we don't want to see any more families go through this again."
If the calls for action are heard, then it could mean more traffic lights on the stretch of road, making it safer for passing cyclists and drivers who are using the lanes junctions.
