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Education News

Call for new Zebra crossing to be made safer after major accident

A recently built Zebra crossing on last year, November 2015 and April
Hay Lane in Grange Park, close to 2016. He won’t be able to play sport
Tregoze Primary School, was the until after the pins and rods holding
site of a road traffic accident on his back together are removed in
21 November and the campaigner, twelve months time.
who succeeded in having it built, is Recalling the accident Dylan said:
calling for extra pedestrian safety “I mentioned to my parents two
measures to be installed. weeks before that some drivers
Royal Wootton Bassett Academy were speeding along the road and
student Dylan Grother, 14, was ignoring the crossing. On the day
crossing the road under the flashing the red car on my right had stopped
orange beacons when he was hit by and I remember looking to my left
the driver of a Ford Focus travelling as I stepped out but the Ford just
from Grange Park Way. A witness kept on coming and I couldn’t do
to the near tragedy said he ‘flew anything about it. Grange Park residents Tracey Boxall and Leon Grother using
through the air.’ Dylan ended up “I really thought I was in a the Hay Lane Zebra crossing
by the bus stop about 30 metres dream until I woke up facing the
further along Hay Lane close to sky, seeing all the faces looking become the site of an accident, I calls to make the road safer over the
where fellow students were waiting down and the pain kicked in. I was bawled my eyes out when I heard. last 25 years.
for the school bus. wearing a heavy coat with the hood “The parents who signed petitions “I was so glad to meet Dylan and
Dylan’s parents were told by up which I think reduced the impact and pressed councillors to provide his parents before Christmas. It has
the police that his injuries were on my head as it smashed the safe pedestrian access to and from made me more determined to make
consistent with being hit at 30mph windscreen.” Tregoze Primary School had become Hay Lane safer and I would appeal
to 35mph. Get well cards and emails flooded really worried that, one day, there to drivers to keep their speed under
Dylan spent twelve days in in wishing Dylan well, including a would be something like this on control and pay attention to the
hospital after suffering broken video message from his hero, Welsh Hay Lane. There had been repeated Zebra crossing.”
bones in his right foot, a broken rugby fly-half Dan Biggar. The road has become much busier
ankle, broken nose, facial bruising Dad Leon Grother said: “I was at because of people driving children
and broken vertebrae which required home and one of the students ran to the primary school as well as
surgery. He has to wear a back brace over to get me. Dylan’s friends had Lydiard Park Academy close-by.
for support and is not expected to dialled 999 and were so sensible, Traffic congestion in other parts
return to school until mid-January. even in their shock, using their of West Swindon has increased
A keen sportsman, Dylan had coats to keep him warm until the considerably over the last few years
just starting training again after ambulance arrived. I was able to and more drivers have been trying to
breaking his left leg twice in the travel to hospital with Dylan where find their way round the blockages,
he was operated on.” including using Hay Lane.
His mum Clarisse said: “Some Tracey added: “The road has to
drivers seem to think Hay Lane is be made less attractive as a rat
like a country back road when in run and I’m calling for immediate
fact it has become so busy over adjustment to the lights over the
recent years.” Zebra, better signage, and will be
Grange Park mum Tracey Boxall, pressing our local councillors to
who campaigned for the crossing support chicanes on Hay Lane off
to be built said: “I was absolutely Dylan, recovering in Great Western Grange Park Way to slow traffic
devastated that the crossing had Hospital in late November approaching the crossing.”

Climbers for rare eye disease return from Kilimanjaro

Three intrepid trekkers from fly the RP Fighting Blindness flag.
Swindon have described their climb “Then the Tanzanian guides were
to the thin atmosphere at the top keen to get us down in case the
of Mount Kilimanjaro as ‘incredibly altitude made things worse for us.
tough, but unforgettable.’ Dan said: “The whole experience
Ian Lawrence, Dan Hopkins and was amazing but I couldn’t have
Becky Prince were raising money climbed without Ian - I’m lucky to
for research into the incurable have been able to have taken on the
genetically inherited disease challenge.”
Retinitis Pigmentosa suffered by “We all miss the adventure and
Dan who is registered as severely the lovely group we travelled
sight impaired. His eyesight is and went through our difficulties
essentially tunnel vision and he is with. We miss the breathtaking
virtually blind in the dark. Ian and scenery and the local guides who
Dan trained together. Climbing to were really quite incredible.”
Dylan, making his way downstairs, 19,000 feet with decreasing oxygen Top of Africa, from left, Ian Lawrence, The three climbers from
with his mother Clarisse Dan Hopkins and Gareth Griffiths
was particularly tough, with Ian Wanborough were joined by Ian’s
West Swindon guiding Dan around obstacles and hard said Ian. “It was gruelling for brother-in-law Gareth.
To boost the charity RP Fighting
everybody and we all reached the
ensuring he did not stumble into
Community holes in the track. top at different times, but it was Blindness, donations can continue
Join Now The final steep climb to the incredible to get there. None of us to be made at:
summit before sunrise was really were thinking straight and forgot to www.justgiving.com/IRLawrence
swindonlink.com n January 2017 13

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