A retired traffic cop has warned that the entrance to a north-east village could become the scene of a fatal accident after a tractor ploughed into his garden.
Bob Strachan arrived back at his home in Station Terrace, Longside home on Sunday afternoon to discover that a rowan tree in his garden have been wrecked by a vehicle hurtling past.
Now the 74-year-old is calling on the local authority to improve traffic calming measures in the village before someone is killed in a collision.
“There was about half a tonne of wood stacked up in the driveway when I got home,” Mr Strachan said. “The rowan tree in my garden was in a terrible state.
“My neighbour said a blue tractor swerved to avoid a combine harvester and hit the tree.”
The retired police officer said he wrote to Aberdeenshire Council in February to raise concerns about the speed at which drivers “come flying” into Longside along Station Terrace.
“It’s dreadful, it’s time the roads department get a shaking. Someone will get killed – I mean it.
“I was in the police for 30 years and saw a lot of deaths on the roads. I don’t want to see another right outside my door.”
Mr Strachan’s wife Aileen teaches piano to local children and he is afraid that a youngster coming to their door could be the first casualty.
He is calling for the council to move the 30mph speed limit sign further outside the village limits and to consider installing speed bumps.
He added: “It wouldn’t cost the world to put down speed humps. I know what I’m talking about, I saw a lot of fatalities on the roads. I once attended the scene of a collision near Brighton in which seven people died.
“It’s madness – if someone was hit out there I would put a ‘for sale’ sign up immediately.”
Last night Philip McKay, Aberdeenshire Council’s roads chief, said: “We take the concerns of residents very seriously and we would be happy to discuss Mr Strachan’s concerns with him directly.”
