Call for urgent safety improvements at site of fatal collision
A Plymouth woman whose nephew was killed in a collision near City College earlier this year is appealing for people to sign her online petition calling for urgent road safety improvements.
Karol Zalewski died at the scene of the crash involving his motorcycle and a car on Kings Road on May 20. He was 27.
It happened at the junction of Kings Road and Rectory Road.
Karol’s aunty Marta Kuzma is asking people who regularly use the road to get to the college or live or work in that area to back her campaign.
She wants better visibility, street lighting or safety measures installed by Plymouth City Council.
Her petition is on the council’s website here: https://democracy.plymouth.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?id=500000027
She said this was the second fatality involving a motorcyclist on this road in three years. Forty-five-year-old Ross Brown also lost his life in a collision with a minibus on August 25, 2022.
The petition, support by Karol and Marta’s family, states: “There have already been two fatal collisions here, as well as repeated accidents and near misses. This is unacceptable and preventable.
“In addition, visibility at the junction is poor due to trees obstructing the view, making it especially dangerous for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
“We request that the council introduce stronger safety measures — such as speed cameras, traffic lights, or other effective traffic-calming solutions — to stop further tragedies and protect all road users.”
Marta said anyone coming out of Rectory Road struggled to see what was coming along Kings Road and there were often cars parked along Kings Road because of its close proximity to the college.
“Something needs to be done before anyone else loses their life,” she said.
Karol was a prominent figure locally in the athletic training discipline of Parkour and was described as a role model for his work with the Plymouth Parkour Team helping to keep hundreds of children active.