A DESPERATE plea for better road signage has been issued by Lostwithiel's former mayor after a danger road claimed the life of a Plymouth man on Saturday.
The 54-year-old grandfather, who has not been formally identified, suffered serious injuries when his red Honda motorbike collided with a car at 2.17pm at the junction of the A390 and B3269 south-west of Lostwithiel.
He was airlifted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, where he later died that evening.
The driver of the car, a burgundy Skoda, was not injured.
Heartfelt tributes and flowers from friends and family of the motorcyclist have since been heaped at the crash scene.
One, signed from his wife, said: "You were taken from me too soon. I will miss you every day.
"I have always loved you and always will." Another, from his daughter, read: "Dad, words can't explain how much I miss you; you were my everything."
Lostwithiel's former mayor Dave Robson said local people were deeply saddened by news of the accident, which closed the road for more than ten hours.
He said there had previously been several accidents on the same road, including one fatality.
"This time it was at the top of the hill, but most occur at the bottom," he said.
"It shows that for one of the main trunk roads in Cornwall it needs better signage encouraging traffic to divert away from Lostwithiel. We're upset all the time with accidents like this."
He said the town council was seeking to get a flashing 30mph sign at the bottom of the hill to remind drivers to slow down, and had contacted Cornwall Council several times to request one.
However, Cornwall Council said Cormac, which provides its highway management function, had received no such request and would be happy to discuss it.
Dan Barnes, acting sergeant at St Austell, attended the scene of the collision on Saturday.
"I've worked here ten years and have dealt with suicide and rape, but to have to knock on someone's door to tell them their loved one has just died is the most horrendous thing you can do because you cause absolute devastation to their lives from that point on," he said. "It's something that family will never get over."
He said fatal collisions had risen 30 per cent on last year in the force area, and appealed for people to comply with road safety laws – "trying to get people to adhere to speed limits, put their seat belts on and not use phones. It's basic stuff."
Inspector Stuart Gibbons said that locally the number of road accidents had shot up over the past few weeks.
Police from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit are appealing for witnesses to Saturday's incident to contact them on 101 quoting log number 475 of September 15.
