Police say spate of crashes is 'truly tragic'
A senior police officer's made an appeal after a string of incidents in the past month
Last updated 16th May 2023
The head of roads policing for Devon and Cornwall says the last few weeks have been 'truly tragic' - after a string of crashes on our roads.
Devon & Cornwall Police have attended 67 collisions in the last four weeks – 35 in Devon and 32 in Cornwall – which have resulted in 10 deaths, including several young people.
Dozens more have been injured.
The series of collisions have prompted a video appeal from Superintendent Ryan Doyle.
In his appeal, Supt Doyle said: “There has been a significant number of very serious collisions on Devon and Cornwall’s roads recently.
“Sadly, many of these have resulted in a tragic loss of life which, as you can imagine, has been devastating for the families and friends of those involved. These people are being supported by specialist officers and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
“To improve road safety, we are increasing the number of roads policing officers and speed detection teams on our roads. I hope this provides reassurance to the vast majority of road users – and a visible deterrent to those who people’s lives at risk.
“The past few weeks have been truly tragic and the last thing our officers want to do is knock on any more doors to tell someone a loved one isn’t coming home.
“Please, please, drive safely.”