A ROAD safety investigation is being carried out in Droitwich following a fatal accident.

Father-of-three Brian Peckham, from Meadow Place, Westlands, was killed after a horror crash on the A38 Droitwich by-pass.

The retired mechanical and electrical engineer died in hospital after his red Citroen Picasso crossed both the central reservation and the Bromsgrove-bound carriageway before colliding with the barrier and bridge near the Ombersley roundabout. It is believed that the car then re-bounded, overturned and came to rest in the central reservation, trapping the driver.

The incident happened at around 3.30pm last Wednesday. Mr Peckham, 62, was freed by Hereford and Worcester Fire Service and flown by air ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at Selly Oak with multiple injuries.

Mr Peckham died of his injuries on Saturday and leaves behind wife Pat and three children.

Mr Peckham's funeral is set to take place at Dodderhill Church, Droitwich, on Thursday, November 17 at 12.45pm, while the coroner for Worcestershire, Victor Round, is expected to open and adjourn an inquest at Stourport-on-Severn on Friday.

An investigation was then launched after it came to light that only an hour and a half before another male driver was taken to the accident and emergency department of Worcester Royal Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

His blue Hyundai coupe also crossed the road and struck the barrier and the bridge.

The incidents were not linked but were almost identical.

A police spokesman said: "Due to the damage to the bridge from the two incidents - in almost identical circumstances - south Worcestershire division traffic management advisor Mike Digger and a highways agency representative attended the scene."

Following the fatal accident, Worcestershire County Council closed part of the A38 to carry out the investigation of the road surface.

The inside lane was closed from Westlands to the point where the A38 becomes a single carriageway.

Jon Fraser, network control manager, said: "Whenever there are a number of incidents on the same stretch of road in a short space of time, we believe an investigation into the integrity of that road surface, and also the layout of the road, is vitally important."

Worcestershire County Council's highways partnership unit is now looking into their findings and considering a number of safety measures for the A38.

Anyone who saw either of the incidents should contact police on 08457 444888.