A FATHER of three from Farnham has called for all central reservation gaps on the A31 Hogs Back to be “shut down” after his wife and young son miraculously survived a horrific crash with a 32-tonne tanker last week.

Simon Wilkinson’s wife Rachel and eight-year-old son Charlie were on their way to Guildford at around 1pm on Monday, August 1, when, without warning, the tanker pulled out of a gap in the A31 opposite the White Lane junction right in front of them.

Rachel was given very little time to react and her Nissan Pathfinder ploughed into the side of the HGV, causing catastrophic damage to the sturdy car and even twisting the chassis of the tanker’s cabin.

Although they suffered injuries - a broken sternum in Rachel’s case requiring a two-day stay at the Royal Surrey - incredibly they walked away from the crash.

Simon, whose family live in Waverley Lane, said: “Rachel was doing about 55mph and said she could see the tanker from a distance away, but then when she got closer, at the last moment he just pulled straight out in front of her.

“I met the driver of the tanker at the scene of the crash and he was very apologetic but I was absolutely furious. He explained that he was travelling on the A31 towards Farnham and wanted to cross into White Lane, but realised at the last minute that his tanker exceeded the lane’s 18 tonne weight limit, so was effectively stuck on the cut-through.

“I guess he was still trying to figure out what to do, when he started to do a U-turn manoeuvre and pulled out straight in front of Rachel. He said he didn’t see her, and the police later said signage may have obstructed his view.

“Our Nissan Pathfinder is absolutely destroyed, but had Rachel and Charlie been in anything less sturdy than that, it could have been very different. Our whole family feel very lucky that it turned out as well as it did.”

Following the crash, Simon has added his voice to those calling for the gaps on the A31 to be closed to prevent further accidents and potential tragedies - encouraged by an ongoing campaign to close another A31 Hogs Back central reservation gap three miles further east at East Flexford Lane.

He continued: “I feel very passionately about getting these things shut down. The police who interviewed Rachel want them shut down, Surrey Highways apparently want them shut down, and there is already a campaign to close the East Flexford Lane gap.

“The only reason they’re still open is because a few residents say they need them for convenience and would prefer the council to make them safer. But as long as the A31 remains a 60mph dual carriageway, as far as I’m concerned it isn’t ever going to be safe to cross.

“How many people have got to be injured or worse before something is done about this?”

Simon also criticised Surrey County Council for the lack of advance warning of White Lane’s 18 tonne weight restriction, but praised the Royal Surrey and Surrey Police for their care of his wife and son.

According to the latest Department for Transport (DfT) data, there were five reported crashes in the vicinity of the A31 junction with White Lane between 2012 and 2015 in which a total of 10 people were treated for injuries.

During the same period a further 15 crashes occurred near the A31 central reservation gap at East Flexford Lane, including one fatal in December 2012. A petition calling for this gap’s permanent closure has mustered 71 signatures, and at Surrey County Council’s Guildford Local Committee meeting in March, Surrey’s road safety team manager recommended it be closed “in the absence of affordable alternatives”.

Following opposition from users of the East Flexford Lane gap, councillors deferred their response to the petition until the Local Committee’s September meeting “for further investigation by the Surrey legal team”.

There are also calls to close a third central reservation gap on the A31, connecting River Lane and Runwick Lane one mile west of the Coxbridge roundabout in Farnham, after a 79-year-old woman was left fighting for her life following a crash on July 6 this year.

Surrey promised to undertake a road safety review of this junction in the immediate aftermath of the crash, but a spokesman for the county council confirmed this week that the River Lane gap will remain open.

The spokesman said: “Following the [July 6] collision a site visit took place to review some of the gaps, and it was concluded that sight lines and visibility were OK and no further action was required. However, the grass cutting contractor was asked to attend to site and carry out remedial works. This took place soon after.”

Referring to the White Lane gap, the spokesman added: “Whether we conduct a road safety review of the junction will depend upon the total history of collisions at the site in comparison to other sites where there has been a history of collisions. We prioritise so that we deal with the worst sites first.”