A417 crash investigations continue as woman from Cotswolds dies
Investigations into a fatal crash on the A417, which left one woman dead and another seriously injured, will continue today (Friday, May 12). The two-car collision, which occurred near the Air Balloon roundabout in Birdlip, closed the stretch of road for around 24 hours.
A woman in her 40s, from Cirencester, was pronounced dead at the scene[1]. A second woman, in her 30s and from Newent, was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.
A blue Mazda-2 travelling towards Swindon was involved in the crash along with a white Nissan Qashqai which travelling towards the Air Balloon roundabout. The incident occurred around 9pm on Wednesday (May 10) and the road was closed until around 6pm on Thursday, reports Gloucestershire Live[2].
During the closure, police had to tell motorists to obey road closure signs as many drivers were ignoring them to avoid congestion and delays in the area. Many people went on social media to express their sympathies for all those involved in the collision. Some also said how dangerous the road can be.
One person wrote: “Horrible road that, lost a person from where I worked on that road. Long time ago. Sympathies go to the family.”
Another said: “Thoughts to the lady’s family and friends and to the other lady for a full recovery and a huge thanks to our emergency services.”
And another person wrote: “I hope they can start on the new bypass soon and hopefully stop these accidents.”
Construction work on the new bypass is due to start in the autumn and be completed in early 2027. It would mean a complete dual-carriageway route on the A417/A419 from the M5 junction at Brockworth to the M4 junction at Swindon.
The Air Balloon and Cowley roundabouts would be for local traffic with new junctions and bridges in place. Preliminary work at the site has begun.
The Birdlip stretch will, in part, be repurposed as a route for cyclists, walkers, dog walkers and horse riders. The Air Balloon pub, which closed at the start of the year, will be demolished.
Officers from the Roads Policing Unit would like to hear from anyone who has not already spoken to police and has information or dashcam they feel may be relevant. Information can be provided to police online by completing the online form[4] and quoting incident 449 of May 10.
References
- ^ was pronounced dead at the scene (www.wiltshirelive.co.uk)
- ^ reports Gloucestershire Live (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Man found injured in restaurant toilets (www.wiltshirelive.co.uk)
- ^ online form (www.gloucestershire.police.uk)