A council is considering urgent safety reviews after a fatal road accident at the weekend.
Douglas Scott, 26, died when his Ford Mondeo ploughed through a low wall on Hartburn Bridge in Morpeth, Northumberland and fell into the river some 30 feet below.
Mr Scott, who came from a farming background in the village of Cambo, was cut free from his car following the accident but died in Newcastle General Hospital.
There has been concern about the area in recent times following two other accidents that have seen cars puncture the bridge’s walls and numerous other near misses.
Hartburn Parish Council has already been in touch with Northumbria Council to ask for permission to do something about the section of the road, which sees motorists having to make a sharp turn after a downhill section.
Council chairman Ernie Coe, who lives in the village, told Journal Live: “We have written to the county asking for an urgent meeting, either at County Hall or at the bridge itself if necessary, to discuss the situation. We have been concerned that something like this would happen, but in the past the county have refused to put a barrier on the bridge because of its historic character. Now we believe something has to be done to make the bridge as safe as possible.”
Last night David Laux, from the county council, said: “We are certainly willing to meet the parish council in the near future, given the tragic accident which occurred at Hartburn Bridge on Sunday, and to receive the views and comments of local people.
“We are awaiting information from the police investigations regarding the cause of the accident before we decide the best course of action.”