A424 junction where James McDonald died needs changing - fiancée

James McDonald, from Chipping Norton, died at the scene after he was hit by a car at the junction leading to Taynton on December 11 last year.

An inquest into his death last month revealed the give way lines at the junction were in poor condition, although this was not judged to have caused the crash.

Read also: Inquest into death of James McDonald

The incident came two days after another collision on the A424 killed two people and Mr McDonald’s family has now called for change to prevent more fatalities.

The biker was believed to have been travelling to visit his fiancée, Sally Janice Sollis, who insists the speed limit and road markings on the A424 need addressing.

She said: “The markings are faded on all junctions in the area, especially that one.

“If people don’t see the give way sign they’ll drive straight across the road.

“My opinion is that they should lower the speed limit. People do more than the 60mph limit.

Read also: Inquest opens after two men die on A424

“I regularly took the route where James died for years. It’s a horrible junction.

“I’d be more than happy if they made it safer. I’m sure quite a few people would say the same.”

The inquest heard how Mr McDonald, 41, was approaching the A424 from the direction of Shipton-under-Wychwood.

It appeared he was looking to travel straight across the junction, which curves to the left, towards the village of Great Barrington, where Ms Sollis lives.

Mr McDonald, who managed the Shell garage in Chipping Norton, was hit in the middle of the carriageway by a Volkswagen Passat driven by Ilie Cenusa.

Mr Cenusa was not breaking the speed limit, but Mike McDonald, James’s father, maintained drivers should be extra careful on the stretch.

He said: “It’s an important issue if there’s that amount of people being killed.

Read also: Family thanks well-wishers who donated money to pay for son's funeral

“The main thing is to ask people to control their speed. People don’t seem to take notice of accidents on that route.”

Following the accident, well-wishers raised thousands to help Mr McDonald and his wife Margaret pay for their son’s funeral in Carlisle, where he grew up.

Despite the poor condition of the road markings, Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter told last month’s inquest that he felt the junction was still clear.

Oxfordshire County Council spokesperson, Paul Smith, confirmed the give way lines would be repainted following planned resurfacing of the road in the area, although he did not say when this would happen.

Mr Smith also revealed speed surveys had taken place at the location, but ‘no decisions [have been] taken or proposals made as of yet’.

A report on the website FixMyStreet, which helps residents record street repairs, flagged up a pothole at the junction that was ‘forcing traffic coming off the 424 into middle of road conflicting with oncoming vehicles’.

This was posted in January, with the council confirming two days later that action was being taken to fix the pothole.