Too young to die - tributes to tragic crash victim Matthew 20

8:42am Friday 17th July 2009

By Miriam Phillips

THE family of a 20-year-old Weymouth man killed instantly in a car crash has paid tribute to a ‘popular and sociable guy’.

Matthew Taylor, of Broadwey, was described by his older sister Lucinda Taylor as her gentle giant and said that he would always be her ‘big little brother’.

He was on his way home from visiting a friend shortly before 7pm when his red Hyundai Coupe crashed on the C12 near Cerne Abbas – near the Piddletrenthide junction.

Matthew was driving towards Dorchester on the old Sherborne Road when his car collided with a silver Mercedes travelling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the Mercedes, a 56-year-old man from Sherborne suffered serious injuries, and was taken to Dorset County Hospital. A police spokesman later said that he had suffered serious but non- life-threatening injuries and was recovering. Matthew’s families were informed of the accident on Wednesday evening and are described as being in shock.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Lucinda said that everyone who knew Matthew was devastated and struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.

“He was a popular and social guy whose main passion was doing up his Hyundai – he loved doing that.”

She said the circumstances of the crash were unclear and that Matthew had just been driving back from visiting a friend when the crash occurred.

The former Wey Valley pupil attended Weymouth College before getting a job at Lidl supermarket in Weymouth.

He lived with his parents and sister in their family home in Broadwey where he doted on the family’s dogs Herbie and Bubbles. Workmates of Matthew were deeply shocked after learning of his death.

A spokesman for the Lidl store, on Dorchester Road, said: “Matthew had very close friendships within the team and he was a very likeable person.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw either car being driven prior to the accident to contact them on 01305 222222.

THE Old Sherborne Road is one the county’s most dangerous stretches of road, claiming eight lives in under four years.

This isolated, seven-mile stretch, from Dorchester to Middlemarsh, also lays claim to 13 serious and 51 minor casualties for the same period.

Before the death of Matthew Taylor, the last fatal accident on the C12 happened last February.

On this occasion, four people – including 26-year-old trainee Sherborne nurse Alison Graff – were killed in an early morning head-on horror smash, close to Cerne Abbas.

Three Polish steelworkers, who had been staying in Weymouth, died in the other car involved. They were Damien Galusik, Andrzej Adam Kuc, and Adam Podsiadlo.

After a subsequent inquest into all four deaths, West Dorset coroner Michael Johnston said it was impossible to determine either vehicle’s speed from the evidence available.

But he stressed icy conditions and a ridge in the road were likely to have contributed.

In October 2006 schoolboy Benedict Cosmo Harry Judd, aged 11, died after the car he was travelling in left the C12, near Cerne Abbas, spun out of control and ploughed into two trees lining the road.

His mother had been driving home to Bovington when her 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser went out of control.

Nine months previously, learner driver James Hayter, aged 18, and his father Ivor, were both killed after their car also hit a tree near Cerne Abbas.

James, who was preparing to take his driving test, wanted some last-minute practice behind the wheel.

HOW many more deaths will it take before someone takes action on this deadly stretch of road?

That was the plea from a woman whose son and husband were killed close to this latest fatal crash site.

Pauline Hayter’s life was ripped apart when her 18-year-old son James, crashed into a tree on the C12 Old Sherborne Road, killing himself and fatally injuring his father Ivor.

Mrs Hayter, 62, who has repeatedly pushed for safety improvements ever since, said: “Its time that the authorities did something to improve safety, particularly around the Cerne Abbas junctions. Something must be done about these accidents.”

She wants high-visibility signs erected, warning of the junctions and bends, which also display the road’s grim accident statistics.

“I’ve seen these types of signs elsewhere in the country, and I am sure they help reduce serious accidents.”

Mrs Hayter, who was saddened to learn of the latest fatal crash, said: “My thoughts go out to the family of this young man. My heart just goes out to all of them.”

She added: “Obviously, no one knows what happened at this stage, and maybe no one ever will. That is one of the hardest things to live with, the not knowing.

“But this is one of the more dangerous roads, and there should be more signs warning of the dangers. I would also support lowering the speed limit to 40mph or 50mph.”

Cerne Abbas Parish Council footpath and environment committee member, Councillor Tom Handley, said: “Our council has long campaigned for the upgrading of the C12 so improvements can be made at its junctions, but Dorset County Council does not see it as a priority.

“The idea behind the upgrade is that the C12 would become the A352 – the C12 would become safer because of being upgraded and the existing A352 would lose much of the amount of traffic and become a much quieter local road for communities along the valley.

“Clearly the C12 has got long, straight stretches, with good visibility, but in our view it is important to make the bends and junctions safer.”

A Dorset County Council spokesman said: “We are very sorry to hear about the tragic loss of life which followed this accident.

“We will wait to hear the results of the police investigation into the accident and will take on board any appropriate recommendations that come out of it.”