Petition calls for road improvements after fatal crash

By Trevor Bevins - Local Democracy Reporter 9th Apr 2025

Local News by Trevor Bevins - Local Democracy Reporter 9th Apr 2025

HUNDREDS of signatures have been added to an online petition to improve road safety on the A37 Dorchester to Yeovil road – in just a few hours.

It has been started by the family of a man who died in an accident there in January 2024 on a clear, January morning, involving three vehicles.

An inquest into the death has yet to be held.

The crash happened at the junction near the Maiden Newton and Sydling St Nicholas turning – the area known as Break Heart Hill.

The petition, hosted on the Change.org petition site, says: "There is a growing consensus among locals that safety measures on this road are inadequate.

"Accidents are not uncommon for this hazardous stretch of the A37, with the hidden dip of Break Heart Hill having been identified as a particular hotspot.

"We urge the Highways Agency and local authorities to take immediate action, improve signage, change road markings, and establish other precautionary measures to prevent further unnecessary accidents."

The petition can be found at https://chng.it/4PZhdTKBxj