Jason Imi

PFD Report All Responded Ref: 2019-0238-wp26735
Date of Report 12 July 2019
Coroner Alison McCormick
Coroner Area Berkshire
Response Deadline ✓ from report 13 September 2019
All 1 response received · Deadline: 13 Sep 2019
Coroner's Concerns (AI summary)
The absence of a footpath and street lighting near a hotel entrance on a main road forces pedestrians to cross in darkness with poor visibility, creating a significant risk of collision.
View full coroner's concerns
I am concerned that there is no footpath on the A329 on the side of the road where the Royal Berkshire Hotel is located, meaning that any pedestrians walking into or out of the hotel entrance have to cross the A329 to get from or to a footpath, and that there is no street lighting in the vicinity of the hotel. Street lights end 100 metres west of the hotel entrance. This means that pedestrians entering or leaving the hotel during the hours of darkness have to cross the road in a place where there is no illumination, and so they are

Berkshire Coroner’s Office Reading Town Hall, Blagrave Street, Reading, RG1 1QH Tel. 01189372300 coroner@reading.gov.uk not easily visible to motorists driving along the A329. There is also a tree canopy in the summer, further shading the road, and a dip in the road surface on the eastbound approach to the hotel which adversely affects forward visibility towards the hotel for motorists.

I consider that unless some action is taken there is a continuing risk of pedestrians entering or leaving the Royal Berkshire Hotel being run over as they cross the A329 at night.
Responses
The Highways Authority Other
Action Taken
• The Highways Authority met with the Police on 7th August 2018 to review the circumstances around the crash. • The Highways Authority will monitor and review pedestrian activity in the area. • There is existing street lighting on the road. (AI summary)
View full response
Dear Sirs, I refer to your letter regarding the deaths of Mr Jason Imi and Mr John Shackley following the unfortunate road crash on A329 London Road, Sunninghill on 2nd August 2018. I have been asked to respond to you on behalf of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, who are the Highway Authority responsible for this section of road. I apologise for the delay in responding to you. As with all fatal road crashes on roads across the Borough, we arrange to meet the Police as soon as possible after any crash. This allows us to review the circumstances around the crash, identify possible contributory highway issues and if necessary put in place any remedial measures as soon as possible. In this case, a meeting was held on site with the Police on 7th August 2018. No traƯic management issues were identified during this site visit that may have contributed to this collision. Our information is that there have been no reported injury crashes on London Road within 200m of the Hotel entrance over the five year period 1st May 2013 to 30th April 2018 and that there have been no reported pedestrian casualties in the area since 1st January 1990. I do however note that you have raised concerns about a number of issues where you consider that there is a danger that future deaths could occur unless action is taken. With regards to these points that you raise:
1. Whilst it is acknowledged that there is no footway on the north side of London Road in the immediate vicinity of the Royal Berkshire Hotel, the likely number of users of a possible new footway is very low as there are only a small number of properties on the north side of the road and very few of the Hotel guests walk along this section of road. The lack of a footway is not unusual in a rural setting such as this, although there is a continuous footway along the south side of the road. We will nevertheless monitor and review pedestrian activity in the area.
2. There is existing street lighting on the road corresponding with the edge of the small settlement to the west of the hotel, which commences at a point approximately 100 metres west of the Royal Berkshire Hotel. Whilst it is not usual practice to install street lighting for an individual access such as this, subject to budget prioritisation, the Council will look to introduce additional street lighting on the section of London Road up to the Hotel entrance.
3. Colleagues have reviewed the tree canopy surrounding the road in this rural area but have not identified any specific road safety issues associated with tree cover.

4. Although there is a slight dip in the road in the vicinity of the Hotel entrance, there is advance signing to advise of the Hotel entrance as well as signing immediately opposite the Hotel entrance. Further signing or traƯic measures are not considered necessary to alert approaching drivers to the presence of the Hotel entrance. I trust that this response addresses the concerns that you have raised.
Sent To
  • Highways Authority
Response Status
Linked responses 1 of 1
56-Day Deadline 13 Sep 2019
All responses received
About PFD responses

Organisations named in PFD reports must respond within 56 days explaining what actions they are taking.

Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Report Sections
Investigation and Inquest
On 3rd August 2018 I commenced investigations into the deaths of Jason Robert Imi (aged 48 years) and John Carl Shackley (aged 61 years). The investigations concluded at the end of the inquests on 8th July 2019. The conclusions of the inquests into the deaths of both men were:

Road Traffic Collision
Circumstances of the Death
On 2nd August 2018 Jason Imi and John Shackley were on a corporate day with their work team. They were staying at the Royal Berkshire Hotel on the A329 London Road, Sunninghill, Berkshire. That evening the group went for dinner at a restaurant just up the road from the hotel. The group walked back from the restaurant to the hotel shortly before 11.30pm. There is no pavement on the side of the road where the Royal Berkshire Hotel is located. Mr. Imi and Mr. Shackley walked together at the back of the group along the pavement on the opposite side of the road to the hotel. As they crossed the road back to the hotel they were hit by a motor car being driven in an easterly direction along the A329. As a result of the collision both men sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene. The A329 is subject to a 50mph speed limit at the locus of the accident.
Copies Sent To
insurers of the vehicle involved in the road traffic collision on 2nd August 2018 Thames Valley Police
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Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.