Frederick St, Ashfield: Calls for safety measures after 87-year-old man hit and killed

Calls have intensified for increased safety measures at an intersection in Sydney’s inner west after an 87-year-old man was struck and killed.

Calls have intensified for increased safety measures at an Ashfield intersection after a pedestrian – one of many in recent years – was struck and killed last week.

On Sunday March 13 an 87-year-old man was struck by a 4WD on the pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Frederick St and John S. Paramedics treated the man but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

The driver of the vehicle was unharmed.

A police investigation is underway to determine the exact nature of the collision, but residents and politicians are calling for the introduction of new safety measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

“The loss of one person on our roads is one person too many,” Summer Hill state MP Jo Haylen said.

“It’s clear that pedestrian safety across Frederick St needs to be improved.

“It’s incumbent on us as a community to do as much as possible to make sure a tragedy like this doesn’t happen again.”

Ms Haylen is the Shadow Transport Minister and, along with Strathfield MP Jason Yat-sen Li, sent a letter to Burwood police expressing the need for safety measures.

A petition on change.org demanding the installation of traffic lights has already surpassed 1,000 signatures as the shaken community demands better safety measures.

Dylan Griffiths, a Greens councillor on Inner West Council for the Ashfield ward, said the street had historically been dangerous.

“The entirety of Frederick St is a dangerous spot,” he said.

“You have Ashfield Aquatic Centre, Hammond Park and The Infants’ Home all on or near the street, so it’s a very important road for pedestrians.”

Last week Cr Griffiths and Balmain MP Jamie Parker called on the state government to urgently investigate the street and improve safety.

“There’s a 60km per hour speed limit on the road and it‘s managed by Transport for NSW, but there isn’t much infrastructure in place,” Cr Griffiths said.

“There aren’t many traffic lights and the footpaths are too narrow for the level of pedestrian activity on the street.

“The speed limit is a problem and because you have a lot of WestConnex sites nearby, the street is full of heavy vehicles too.”

A spokesman from Transport for NSW said the department would await the conclusion of the police investigation before deciding next steps.

“Any fatality on our roads is an absolute tragedy,” he said.

“Transport for NSW will await the outcome of the NSW Police investigation before considering any further action regarding this intersection.”

A Google Maps screenshot of Frederick St and the surrounding area.

In the letter to the state government Cr Griffiths called for a reduction in the speed limit, traffic calming measures or the installation of traffic lights.

“The evidence is that a speed reduction generally decreases the severity and number of crashes,” he said.

Residents way back in 2017 have been calling for more safety measures on Frederick St, where this picture was taken five years ago.

The Inner West Courier previously described the road and intersection as a “notorious inner west black spot” following about 30 injuries to pedestrians on the crossing between 2015-16, including a teenager who sustained serious injuries after being hit by a ute and a flipped car in 2017.

“This sadly isn’t something new,” Cr Griffiths said.

“But yet, nothing has been done about that intersection.

“It shouldn’t take seven years for there to be reform on a dangerous intersection.”