A YOUNG father of two was killed in a horror smash at the spot where motorists claim other accidents had occurred just hours earlier.
Motorcyclist Lee Friend, 27, of Redhill, was 200 metres away from work when he was in collision with a car on the A217 in Sidlow, south of Reigate.
Motorists have inundated Surrey Police with claims that temporary traffic lights, installed just the day before, were too close to a blind bend on the 50 mile-per-hour limit road, and that Mr Friend's tragic death was an "accident waiting to happen". Many said there had been other crashes and near-misses but police were unable to confirm reports of a three-car crash there the day before. Sutton and East Surrey Water (SESW), which put the restrictions in place to do maintenance work, denied they were dangerous, although they did extend the lights beyond the bend following the crash.
Mr Friend was riding his red Honda motorbike southbound towards the lights at 7.52am last Thursday when he was involved in a collision with a BMW and Volkswagen Polo. He died at the scene.
His grieving widow Steffi, whom he married just eight months ago, wrote on Facebook: "I am dying inside, whilst our two beautiful children are without the most wonderful father anyone could wish for. He was so happy, straight, genuine and honest."
She added: "I don't want to be bitter, I just know my husband was an experienced rider, who knew that road like the back of his hand, he didn't ask to leave us, he didn't deserve to die."
Mr Friend was a vehicle technician at Reigate Motor Company in Sidlow. Paying tribute, his boss, Simon Youthed , told the Mirror: "He was a super chap. He was a hard worker, a very good technician, reliable, a nice person. He will be very sadly missed."
Aware of the crash just up the road from the garage, and with Mr Friend uncharacteristically late for work, the awful realisation that he was involved dawned on his colleagues.
Dozens of comments posted on Surrey Police's Facebook page since Mr Friend's death allege the position of the roadworks was not safe. Mark Miles wrote: "I must have gone through moments beforehand and could not believe the lights were still in the same place as [the] day before when another crash happened... unbelievable."
SESW spokeswoman Liz Thorne said they had no record of any other crashes and had received no calls warning them the site was dangerous.
She said: "In order to minimise traffic disruption and to ensure that the works are carried out as safely as possible, the distance between the traffic lights and the roadworks is normally as short as practical. However, following the accident and at the request of Surrey County Council, the distance between the traffic lights was increased to include the bend in the road to the north of the roadworks."
Any witnesses to the collision who have not yet spoken with officers should contact police on 101 quoting reference P13053154.
