A WEEK before last night's (Sun 28) fatal crash on the A350 at Lacock, a petition was launched calling for Wiltshire Council to change the markings of the Corsham Road junction.

Kim Seviour, 30, of Rosemary Houses, started the petition, which so far has 758 signatures, after she heard of the death of 49-year-old Lynette Perkins, who worked alongside a mutual friend in Waitrose in Melksham.

Ms Seviour wants a change to the layout of the dangerous junction by designating the left hand lane as a left turn only and the right solely for traffic heading straight ahead.

Ms Seviour said: “This area of road is just unsafe. I used to live in Melksham and travel up to Chippenham and I have gone through that junction several times.

“But then I heard that someone died and I thought oh my God that is on my own door step.

“I was shocked. I felt for everybody involved. I have a friend who worked with her in Waitrose and my auntie and cousin worked with her son in Sainsbury in Chippenham.

“To think that it was impacting people who I know and that it is something that could have been prevented is awful."

Ms Seviour, who only recently moved back to the area after spending several years in London, believes that accidents occur as the road returns into a single lane after splitting into two at the junction traffic lights.

She added: "The problem is that people split into the both lanes and then follow on into one lane as they continue. What you will have is boy racers and impatient drivers that just try to overtake you and when that happens you have to swerve to the left hand side or run the risk of hitting oncoming traffic."

Wiltshire Council cabinet member for highways and transport, Philip Whitehead, said: “It is a fair point. We are doing a review at the moment of that stretch of road.

“I think the fact that we are looking into it says that we may have some concerns about it.

“The volume of traffic through the junction has increased considerably. I personally do not think there are any problems with it.

“Regarding the death, if the coroner’s report tells us that we need to look at the junction we will do something but we will not react prior to the report.”

Those wishing to sign the petition should go to www.ipetitions.com/petition/a350-lacock-markings.