Speed limit cut to 20mph after hit-and-run death

Keaton Slater was hit by a car on his way home from school in June last year

A 20mph speed limit will be introduced along part of a road where a 12-year-old boy was killed in a hit-and-run crash, says Coventry City Council.

Keaton Slater died after being hit by a black BMW on Radford Road as he walked home from school on 14 June last year.

The new speed limit will be in place between Lydgate Road and Aldi, in addition to other road safety measures. They include the road's lanes being narrowed, speed bumps and a sensor activated on an existing crossing, said Patricia Hetherton, cabinet member for city services.

Keaton's parents, Louise and Clint Slater, had campaigned for the measures, with the support of Taiwo Owatemi, MP for Coventry North West.

Owatemi described the "heartbreaking" impact of Keaton's death and said she was proud that the city council had responded to a petition made in his name for urgent changes to road safety to be made.

Hetherton added that the council had listened to residents' concerns and also planned for kerbs to be adjusted on Radford Road, as well as a new pedestrian refuge to be built near Dugdale Road.

"These measures are designed to reduce vehicle speeds, improve pedestrian safety, and make the road more manageable for all who use it," the MP said.

She added that the planned changes were "an important step forward" and she was committed to ensuring the improvements led to "lasting benefits".

Dolars Aleksanders is wanted by police in connection with the hit-and-run that killed Keaton

Keaton's parents have also fought for the extradition of Dolars Aleksanders, 21, who is wanted on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and believed by police to be in Latvia.

The couple met with the Latvian ambassador in April, which Mr Slater described as "light at the end of the tunnel".

Hatherton said other nearby junctions and crossings would be improved to "further calm traffic" and "make the area safer for everyone".

She added that formal notices advertising the changes would be published later this year.

Residents will then be able to comment on the changes, with the comments considered by the council.