More deaths could happen unless improvements are made at a ford which claimed the life of a motorist whose car was swept away by the river, a coroner has reported.
Samantha Goward issued a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report to Norfolk County Council following the death of Barry Howard.
The 75-year-old drowned when he unwittingly drove into a deep, fast-flowing ford at Shotesham.
Mr Howard, a lifelong Norwich City fan, had been looking for a shortcut to avoid heavy traffic as he drove home from a game at Carrow Road, when he attempted to cross the River Tas in darkness.
The river was swollen after a period of heavy rain, with the causeway under 3ft of water, and his Toyota Yaris was swept away.
The road was closed at the time, but the recent inquest into his death heard that Mr Howard may not have spotted warning signs, some of which had been removed and placed face down by the site of the road.
In her report, the area coroner said his death was “an accident contributed to by lack of visible warning signs of flooding and road closure.”
In her PFD report, Mrs Goward said: “During the course of the investigation my inquiries revealed matters giving rise to concern.
“In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken.”
In total, she raised six concerns following the tragedy, including issues of insufficient signage at the unbridged ford, poor location of signage, lack of warnings for extreme flooding, and a slippery road surface.
She also flagged up that previously reported incidents had not been acted upon by Norfolk County Council, and that temporary road closed signs were not replaced with more permanent measures until just before the inquest.
The report added: “It was only a week prior to the inquest, some seven months after this death, that action was taken.
“I am concerned that such lengthy delays to implement safety measures will lead to a risk in future incidents at this and possibly other locations.”
Norfolk County Council has 56 days to respond to the report.
Speaking after the inquest, his family paid tribute and said: “Barry was a loving father, grandfather, and a friend to many. “
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