A61 speed limit may be cut after Ukrainian family killed in crash

The A61 Ripon Road may have its speed limit lowered following the fatal crash

A stretch of road near Harrogate may have its speed limit lowered after a Ukrainian family of three died in a car crash in September.

Daria Bartienieva, 35, her son Ihor Bartieniev, six, and stepdaughter Anastasiia Bartienieva, 15, were all killed on the A61 near South Stainley.

North Yorkshire Council is now considering lowering the speed limit from 60mph to 50mph.

The family were survived by a 15-year-old girl who was not in the car.

All were Ukrainian refugees living in Ripon after arriving in the UK in 2022, and fundraisers have so far raised nearly £50,000 for the bereaved teenager.

The crash involved a double-decker bus and another car, and it is believed the teenager's father was also killed previously in Ukraine.

The road, a key route connecting Ripon and Harrogate, has faced multiple incidents, and Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith said that he recently met with 20 residents to hear their concerns.

Local MP Julian Smith is calling for measures to make the road safer

He has held discussions with North Yorkshire Council's transport lead Keane Duncan about issues including the speed limit and inadequate overtaking lanes, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Duncan said the council was currently undertaking speed surveys on the road and a "broader package of improvement measures" could be brought to the public for consultation soon.

He added: "Our thoughts are with the families of the victims of this tragic accident.

"The safety of the travelling public is our key priority, and we endeavour to make the county's roads as safe as possible."

Mr Smith said that, while fundraising for the teenager had been "astonishingly generous", accidents like that must not happen again and he and the council were "continuing to look for a solution".