Ashford crash: Mother calls for rural road safety after daughter's death
- Published
Worn road markings and a rotated road sign could have played a factor in the crash, a coroner said
A mother is campaigning for rural road safety after her 18-year-old pregnant daughter was killed in a car crash.
Jessica Poole and Josh Alexander, 21, were travelling on country roads near Ashford, Kent on 5 June 2023.
A coroner said they would be writing to Kent County Council (KCC) after worn road markings and a rotated road sign could have played a factor in the crash.
KCC said it was working with police to investigate the cause of the crash.
The couple's car crashed into a lorry on the junction between Plurenden Road and Bethersden Road in Woodchurch.
The two were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Aimee Poole, who lives in Battle, East Sussex, has started a petition, external to improve rural road safety, calling for additional signs to be put in place.
She claimed a warning sign "at a wrong angle" and "extremely worn" road markings contributed to the junction not being safe enough.
Ms Poole said the road was big and fast, with a speed limit of 60mph (97kph).
She said: "All it would take is another sign [saying] reduce speed now or approaching a junction just to prevent future accidents."
Jessica was expecting a son at the time of the crash
When speaking of her daughter's death, Ms Poole said: "It has just ruined my life."
She said Jessica was "really funny" with a "good sense of humour".
"She was kind, caring and she loved animals from a young age."
Ms Poole said she was advised against seeing Jessica's body due to the severity of the crash.
"Sometimes I kind of think it hasn't really happened, because I haven't seen her," she said.
A KCC spokesperson said: "Whenever there is a serious or fatal crash on one of our roads we work with Kent Police, expert engineers and coroners to investigate any causation factors that are identified.
"Once these are known we carry out any work deemed to be needed to help mitigate a similar incident from happening again.
"One death on our roads is one too many and we will continue to make sure we keep our roads safe."
Follow BBC South East on Facebook, external, on X, external, and on Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk, external or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.