‘No safety issues’ found at Milton Keynes junction where two people were killed after a woman drove the wrong way down a sliproad

‘No safety issues’ have been found at a Milton Keynes junction where two drivers were killed after a woman drove the wrong way down the sliproad.

Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) highways officials have given the ‘all clear’ to No Entry signs at the top of the slip road onto the A5 at Little Brickhill.

Amal Mohammed Ahmed died when her car was involved in a crash with another vehicle after she drove the wrong way down the sliproad in November.

The driver of the other car died later in hospital.

The inquest into Mrs Ahmed’s death is yet to be held but, in January, assistant coroner Sean Cummings, issued a Prevention of Future Deaths Report to the council and the Chief Executive of National Highways raising concerns over poor lighting and ‘what appeared to be inadequate No Entry signs’ at the top of the sliproad.

Mr Cummings said police officers had seen three other vehicles performing exactly the same manoeuvre and that local residents had also seen several drivers make the same mistake.

He warned that future deaths could occur unless something was done to improve signage.

In response to the coroner’s report, the city council chief executive Michael Bracey, said the authority had received no formal complaints about the junction but stressed the sliproad itself, its road markings and junction with the A5, were the responsibility of National Highways.

“Comments about the absence of highway lighting in the vicinity are notes, and this would be MKCC’s responsibility on the connecting local road and National Highways’ on the sliproad, although it is a rural location and there is no nearby power supply at present.”

Mr Bracey said in June, 2023, a highways inspector found no safety issues and when he revisited the site after the double tragedy he confirmed that view.

The chief executive told the coroner that talks have been held with National Highways and Thames Valley Police and it was agreed that the signage complied with regulations, though the No Entry signs would be more effective if illuminated.

He added: “If at any time we identify an urgent safety hazard on a road where National Highways has responsibility for doing any works we would engage with them.”