FRESH calls have been made to review the safety of a road which has given residents “20 years of hell” after a crash left a father and his son “yards away from death”.

Kenny Johnson, who has been campaigning for the introduction of speed cameras on Carmel Road South in Darlington for years, said he had his “heart in his mouth” when he witnessed a Ford Focus crash into a lamppost just metres away from him on Sunday evening.

No one was hurt, but Mr Johnson said he was having “visions of his son being crushed by the car” following the incident, which happened on the road where a cyclist was killed in 2013.

 

Darlington Borough Council’s Conservative leader Heather Scott said something had to be done before there were further fatalities.

Mr Johnson was walking his dog on Sunday evening when he heard the crash and immediately feared for his son, who was cycling in front of him.

“There was an enormous bang, it sounded like a bomb had gone off. Everyone rushed out of their houses to see what had happened.

“I couldn’t see my son for 10 or 15 seconds. My heart sank and I was running to where it happened, I was fearing the worst.”

 

Fortunately, his son had safely crossed the road and had narrowly avoided the incident.

“I was minutes from being killed and my son was yards away from being wiped out. If there were any other cars on the road, it would have been carnage."

The death of Darlington cyclist and father-of-two Michael Severs in May 2013 resulted in packed public meetings to discuss safety concerns on the road, and calls have been made to improve safety ever since.

Mr Johnson said: “I am really angry and upset and people need to be made aware of the situation.

“I have lived here for 20 years and it has been 20 years of hell."

 

Cllr Scott said: “We need to make people aware of the dangers of speeding and the police need to catch more people, and they need to be dealt with severely.

“People are rightly concerned – we have got to do something before there are further fatalities.”

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman said: “It was plain to me that this was a very serious incident.

“I have already written to the council and asked about road safety along Carmel Road South."

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman said: “We are aware of a recent incident and we are working with the police to look at the causes, any patterns and any initiatives that may improve road safety.”

A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said enquiries were ongoing.