A coroner has warned National Highways and a county council about providing “more regular maintenance” for a flood-prone A road after a man died in a crash.
James Scott, 25, lost control of his car after driving through an area of standing water on the A33 southbound near Kings Worthy, Hampshire, on the evening of July 5 last year.
The car then turned sideways and collided with another car travelling the other way after it crossed into the opposite carriageway. Mr Scott sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene.
An inquest into his death heard that two of the drains by the southbound lane were compacted with vegetation that caused “little or no surface drainage” from the road, despite the area being a known flood risk for several years.
Annual scheduled maintenance which included clearing gullies and catch pits on either side of the A33 had taken place in May and November 2023.
A temporary ‘Flood’ warning sign was located some eight metres north of the flooding on the grass verge, but had been in that location for about five years.
Ownership of the sign is debated between National Highways and Hampshire County Council.
In a prevention of future deaths report sent to both organisations, Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp, area coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, said: “Whilst the precise cause of the flooding is unknown, a more regular maintenance schedule may have prevented the build-up of vegetation within the gullies and therefore assisted in the drainage of the heavy rainfall experienced that day, thus reducing the amount of surface water present on the road.”
The coroner said the fact that only a temporary sign was being used by the road when the area was known for years to be a flood risk was a matter of concern.
A forensic examiner concluded the standing water on the road was a contributory factor in the crash and in Mr Scott’s death.
Copies of the report were sent by the coroner to the chief executives of both National Highways and Hampshire County Council, with both parties compelled to respond by September 18.
Ms Rhodes-Kemp added: “In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken.”
A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said: “We are terribly saddened by this tragic incident and our thoughts remain with Mr Scott’s loved ones at this extremely difficult time.
“We are considering our response to the coroner’s report and are unable to comment any further while this process is ongoing.”
A National Highways spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of James Scott following this tragic incident.
“We will review the coroner’s report and respond within the deadline.”
