A motorist drowned when he unwittingly drove into a deep, fast-flowing ford after passing closure signs which had been removed and dumped by the roadside.
Barry Howard, a Norwich City fan, had been looking for a shortcut to avoid heavy traffic on his way home from a Carrow Road game when he attempted to cross the River Tas, at Shotesham, 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.
When the 75-year-old failed to arrive at his home in Bawburgh Close, Costessey, he was reported missing and a police search operation launched.
The following morning, his body was discovered, still in his car, which was found about 100ft downstream from the ford, almost completely submerged.
An inquest into his death, held at Norfolk Coroner's Court this week, heard the temporary signs indicating that the road was closed were not visible, as they had been dragged to the side of the road by other motorists and placed face down.
The sign in the centre of the crossing indicating the ford's depth also could not be clearly seen until the car was already deep into the flood water.
In a statement to the court, Mr Howard's family said: "On that awful night, Barry travelled along that road - a road we do not believe he knew or had travelled along before.
"He travelled past a single sign which had been moved and was not showing the road was closed.
"As he reached the ford, we believe he did not have the information needed to make an informed decision or understand the risks."
AN UNFAMILIAR ROUTE
Mr Howard had been at Carrow Road to see Norwich City beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-1, in an evening game on December 13.
He did not normally travel back via Shotesham but mentioned to a friend that he was going to try a different route to avoid the heavy post-match traffic.
He was not familiar with the road or the ford, which had previously been closed at the request of Norfolk Police due to flooding.
Mr Howard approached the crossing shortly after 10pm after travelling down Mill Lane, in the direction of the A140, on the other side of the river.
The inquest heard that he made phone calls, after getting into difficulty in the water, to family members but that they were largely inaudible.
SAFETY QUESTIONS
At the inquest, members of Mr Howard's family raised concerns over the lack of adequate signage to motorists about the dangers of flooding at the ford.
The road has remained closed since the tragedy and will continue to be shut until at least October.
The court was also told there had been 15 similar incidents in the past two years, where motorists had got into difficulties on the crossing.
The area coroner, Samantha Goward, concluded that Mr Howard’s death was "an accident contributed to by a lack of visible warning signs of flooding and road closure."
She went on to say there were “no appropriate visible signs or barriers leading to the ford” to alert Mr Howard that the road was closed or impassable.
She said: “Anyone unfamiliar with the road or unaware of the flooding would not have known that the road was closed and there are no warning signs that the road is liable to significant flooding.
“Anyone unfamiliar with the road had no notice to the close proximity of the upcoming ford before they actually entered the flood water.”
She went on to acknowledge that reports from the parish council made to Norfolk County Council (NCC) raised concerns that the road was also ‘very slippery’ and this may have had an impact on Mr Howard’s ability to break and reverse as he entered the water.
She added: “I do not accept that there is a gauge depth which is clearly visible from both approaches when the road is heavily flooded, as it was on December 13.
“So until he was in the water, he had no way of knowing how deep that water was until he was some way in.”
COUNCIL UNDER PRESSURE
Evidence provided by David Jacklin of NCC's Highways Department said the authority was aware of difficulties with the ford and that the signs and barriers indicating the road was shut were often moved aside by motorists.
The hearing was told that in accordance with the Traffic Signs and Regulations 2016, when it became apparent that the road closure requested by police in October 2023 would become long-lasting, there should have been an appropriate review.
This would have included putting in more permanent measures, such as additional signage, sufficient early warnings and a diversion.
Mrs Goward said: “This would have prevented the issue of Mr Howard driving down a closed and impassable road with no warning signs.”
So concerned was the coroner, Mrs Goward issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report, which gives NCC 56 days to respond.
She said: “While Norfolk County Council considers the signage is adequate, it isn't sufficient enough to prevent those other incidents and Barry's tragic death.
“I haven't heard anything to reassure me that appropriate action has been taken to prevent others continuing to fail to be aware of those risks of that unbridged ford, particularly after heavy periods of rain.
“I accept that the road is still closed at the moment, and I've seen the concrete barriers in place. I’m slightly concerned that they were only implemented last week - seven months after Mr Howard’s death.
“I am not reassured that once the ford reopens future accidents and deaths will all be prevented.
“The evidence that I heard from the senior member of the team is that he feels the current signage is adequate and there is no need for additional signage.
“And my concern is that people may not realise that that section of road is prone to flooding to an extent that it can sweep a car into the river.
“There's no guarantee that any action will be taken if I don't issue a report.
“I am therefore of the view that there is a real risk of future deaths, and another family may face the same tragedy that the Howard family has faced unless appropriate changes are considered.”
LOVING FRIEND AND FAMILY MAN
Barry John Howard was born on August 31, 1948, in Norwich, and was a retired company owner and director.
He had been married to Patricia Howard, a retired auxiliary nurse, for more than 53 years.
Paying tribute to him, his family said: “Barry was a loving father, grandfather, and a friend to many.
“He was extremely sociable and would befriend anyone he met.
“He was extremely fit and active and would regularly play competitive golf.
“He would always make time for his friends and family and was looking forward to trips planned in the near future.
“Barry was a successful businessman, intelligent, and sharp of mind. He was always the person to turn to in a crisis and would solve or work around any problem which was put in front of him.”
- To pay tribute to a loved one, email norfolkobituaries@newsquest.co.uk
- To read all obituaries and tributes join the Facebook group Norfolk's Loved & Lost.
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