In 2024 ten people died in Newcastle due to road traffic collisions, the highest number since 2018 and more than North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Gateshead combined. This included four pedestrians, four car occupants, a motorcyclist and a pedal cyclist. Two of the victims were children.
As well as the ten deaths, one hundred and four people were seriously injured (the highest since 2008) and three hundred and eighty eight people received ‘slight’ injuries.
The 2021 NE Local Transport Plan included an ambitious target that by 2025 no one should be killed or seriously injured on the North East’s roads. Rather than prioritising safety though, in Fenham, Jesmond and Heaton Newcastle City Council removed low traffic neighbourhoods, which are proven to reduce collisions, and stopped the planned roll out of school streets even though at least one local Gosforth school wished to introduce one supported by their ward councillors.
Newcastle City Council has also refused, so far, to address Gosforth High Street safety issues caused by the new layout where there were six slight injuries and one serious injury in 2024, and have cancelled proposed safety interventions on Linden Road and Hyde Terrace.
In the Northumbria Police region there were 40 deaths and 431 serious injuries. According to Susan Dungworth, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, more than 1 in 4 responses to the 2024 Police & Crime Plan survey said road safety was a top priority.
In the seven local authorities making up the NE Mayoral region, there were 61 deaths and 596 serious injuries. About a quarter of these deaths and injuries were pedestrians. Based on Department of Transport estimates, these injuries will have cost the NE region £330 million in 2024, of which £56 million was due to collisions in Newcastle. The new NE Local Transport Plan set a new target to significantly decreased the number of people killed or injured in road traffic collisions, reducing to zero by 2040. We sincerely hope the NE Mayor and Newcastle City Council will act quickly to reduce collisions and injuries as they have committed to in that plan.
These were the ten people who were killed in Newcastle in road traffic collisions in 2024:
- Unnamed, 1 March 2024 – Pedestrian, West Road, age 76-80
- Andrew Murphy, 28/3 Pedestrian, Great North Road, age 36-40
- Conner Loder, 10/6 Car Occupant, Blakelaw, age 11-15
- Billy Eaglestone, 21/7 Motorcyclist, Blakelaw, age 31-35
- Unnamed, 26/9 Two Car Occupants, Chillingham Road, age 26-30
- Jayden McGuinness, 27/9 Pedal Cyclist, Walker Road, age 16-20
- Unnamed, 22/10 Pedestrian, Coast Road, age 46-50
- Unnamed, 28/10 Pedestrian, Jesmond Dene Road, age 71-75
- Matthew Newton, 28/11 Car Occupant, Throckley, age 26-30
Again we want to express our thanks to everyone who is working towards making NE roads safer, and to media and other organisations continuing to highlight the terrible toll of road traffic collisions in our region. We have been pleased to see some local reporting meets the standards of the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines, and we hope that journalists and those writing press releases increasingly adopt these Guidelines in future.
Data on injuries from road traffic collisions is taken from the NE Road User Casualty website.
| 2024 |
As in previous years, the vast majority of incidents where people are hurt due to road traffic collisions are not reported in the media, so this is only a snapshot.
JANUARY 2024
Collision at Broadway Roundabout 18/1/2024
One person taken to hospital after rush hour collision on Newcastle Central Motorway slip road – 19 January 2024
North East drink drivers who put lives in danger when they got behind the wheel while over the limit – 20 January 2024
FEBRUARY 2024
Vehicle being loaded onto a car transporter at Broadway Roundabout, following a collision.
Kenton driver sped up and swerved towards neighbour to frighten him after dispute – 15 February 2024
From Town Moor Parkrun 24/2/2024 “A car crash on Grandstand Rd just after 9am blocked the course and meant that the event had to be stopped while we assessed the situation. Thankfully no one was hurt in the accident and we were able to safely re-start the event at 09:30 with a diversion which allowed the police to manage the scene and for everyone to participate safely.”
MARCH 2024
Stoned Heaton driver used cannabis as ‘coping mechanism’ and smoked joint before getting behind wheel – 3 March 2024
A191 Front Street/Benton Park Road (eastbound), Benton #Newcastle
Car has collided with a traffic signal pole in the middle of the junction. – 6 March 2024
Collision/Road Closure Wansbeck Road South, Gosforth #Newcastle
ℹ️ Road closed due to a 2 vehicle collision. Emergency services on the scene and also the Council to make the site safe. – 6 March 2024
A193 Newbridge Street, the inner ring on the southern side is currently obstructed due to a two vehicle collision. – 28 March 2024
APRIL 2024
Driver seriously hurt after car ‘fails to stop’ for police and crashes into another vehicle in Newcastle ChronicleLive 2/4/2024
COLLISION A167 (Southbound) by #Newcastle United Golf Course – 8 April 2024
Driver who swerved between lanes on Newcastle road and tested positive for cocaine banned – 10 April 2024
Hebburn danger driver ‘could have killed someone’ during police chase in Newcastle – 11 April 2024
Benwell van driver knocked over scooter rider after drinking and taking a cocktail of drugs – 14 April 2024
‘Concerned’ drink-driver went looking for missing flatmate in Jesmond before being caught by police – 17 April 2024
Collision A167(M) Central Motorway / A193 Newbridge Street #Newcastle ℹ️ Northbound entry slip obstructed due to a 3 vehicle collision. – 19 April 2024
New plea for another Gosforth High Street rethink after ‘dramatic’ jump in injuries
A year after Gosforth High Street’s contentious bollards were axed, campaigners want to see the route redesigned again after a spike in traffic collisions – 26 April 2024
Collision A1058 Stephenson Road (Eastbound) / Heaton Road (Corner House)
Lane one obstructed by a 2 vehicle collision approaching the junction. – 29 April 2024
MAY 2024
Intoxicated Audi driver ‘not used to drinking’ smashed into brick wall after visiting friends in Newcastle – 4 May 2024
Man who lives in his car caught drink-driving ‘at speed’ down Newcastle’s Central Motorway – 5 May 2024
Drug-driver who ‘smelled strongly’ of cannabis banned from roads after being pulled over in Newcastle – 20 May 2024
JUNE 2024
Lemington drink-driver caught trying to ‘blend in with crowd’ after fleeing crash scene – 8 June 2024
One person in hospital following collision which caused major delays on Benton Road – 8 June 2024
Drug-driver who had cocaine in system caught ‘switching lanes’ and driving in Newcastle at ‘different speeds’ – 23 June 2024
Hunt for hit-and-run biker that left boy, 3, with broken arm in Fenham continues – 24 June 2024
Stolen motorcycle believed to be involved in Fenham hit-and-run which injured boy, three, is seized by police – 26 June 2024
JULY 2024
Collision A1058 Jesmond Road westbound at the junction with B1307 #Newcastle, two vehicles collision causing congestion, police on scene. – 2 July 2024
A dangerous driver who crashed a stolen car with two 13-year-old passengers into an unmarked police car has been jailed for three years. Dale White, 41, was driving at about 68mph on a 30mph road seconds before the crash which left the boys and two police officers seriously injured. – 11 July 2024
Pedestrian in hospital with ‘significant’ facial injuries after being hit by car on A1 slip road during the early hours – 12 July 2024
Newcastle man caught driving BMW by police officer – after being banned from the roads – 13 July 2024
Hebburn danger driver has ban extended after he was later found to be under the influence of drugs – 14 July 2024
Footage shows high speed police chase through Newcastle which ends in driver smashing into shop – 16 July 2024
Four teenagers have been arrested after a vehicle collided with a police car and two other vehicles. There was a heavy police presence on Kenton Lane on Tuesday afternoon, with vehicles blocking the road. A car had collided with a police vehicle and two others belonging to members of the public. Four males, aged 17, 17, 16, and 15 were arrested in connection with the incident and remain in police custody at the time of writing – 17 July 2024
A teenager has been remanded in custody following the death of a 15-year-old in a crash in Newcastle last month. Shortly after 1am on 10 June, police received a report of a one-vehicle collision on Stamfordham Road in Newcastle. Conner Loder, 15, died at the scene, and another youngster was left with serious injuries. A 16-year-old boy appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 18 July where he pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, disqualified driving and driving without insurance. – 18 July 2024
Motorcyclist rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries following crash in Newcastle – 22 July 2024
“At 9.40am on Sunday, police were alerted by the ambulance service to a collision between a black MG6 car and an off-road motorbike on Binswood Avenue, close to the junction with Sunnyway, in Blakelaw. The male rider of the orange and black off-road motorbike was taken to hospital with serious head injuries but, despite the efforts of medical staff, he passed away in hospital on Monday.”
Newcastle drink-driver was four times over the legal limit before roundabout crash – 28 July 2024
AUGUST 2024
Drunk Mercedes driver was ‘unable to drive in straight line’ in Newcastle – 4 August 2024
Banned driver who caused Layton Darwood’s death in Fenham has appeal to reduce sentence dismissed – 13 August 2024
Man seriously injured after collision involving off-road motorbike in Fenham – 21 August 2024
Collision A695 Scotswood Road (Westbound) / William Armstrong Road – 21 August 2024
How a lying banned driver tried to cover his tracks following little boy’s death in Newcastle – 24 August 2024
SEPTEMBER 2024
Police car bursts into flames causing huge delays on the A1 near Fawdon – 4 September 2024
Uninsured teenage driver got behind wheel after smoking cannabis – 8 September 2024
Collision A695 Scotswood Road/Park Road #Newcastle ℹ️ Multi-car collision at the junction. – 19 September 2024
Elswick drink-driver had open can of lager in car and broken brake lights – 29 September 2024
OCTOBER 2024
Touching tributes left to 16-year-old boy who died after crash in Byker – 1 October 2024
Byker drink-driver snared after police spot him swerving in road -1 October 2024
Newcastle drink driver who crashed into parked car on Grey Street was nearly three times over the limit – 8 October 2024
Drug-fuelled driver who killed ‘hero’ teen jailed. Steven Wallace, 22, was travelling at almost twice the 30mph speed limit when he lost control of his BMW 320i and smashed into Joe Scott in Newcastle in October 2023, the city’s crown court heard. Mr Scott pushed his 19-year-old girlfriend to safety, but he was flung into the air and fatally injured in the incident, with Wallace then fleeing the scene. Wallace admitted causing death and serious injury by driving, and to being more than five times the drug-drive limit. – 11 October 2024
Collision A186 westbound/ A191 roundabout approaching A1 J75 #Newcastle, road closure due to RTC – 15 October 2024
Person taken to hospital after collision at the Denton Burn roundabout – 15 October 2024
Collision A1058 Coast Road (Westbound) / A188 Chillingham Road – 18 October 2024
One person taken to hospital following crash on A189 Jesmond Dene Road in Newcastle – 19 October 2024
Mindless Newcastle motorist drove on footpath during daytime police pursuit near school – 28 October 2024
NOVEMBER 2024
Newcastle businessman bemoans lack of action at danger junction after another crash
There have been at least four crashes this year at the junction between Scotswood Road and Violet Close, including two in 24 hours in May – 4 November 2024
B1318 Great North Road, delays on the Blue House roundabout due to a single vehicle collision where the vehicle has come to rest on the roundabout itself. – 13 November 2024
Police and firefighters sent to three-vehicle crash involving Uber in Newcastle city centre – 19 November 2024
A189 Redheugh Bridge, lane one is partially obstructed due to a collision – 26 November 2024
DECEMBER 2024
B1318 Great North Road, northbound delays and one lane currently blocked near the junction of Forsyth Road due to a two vehicle collision – 4 December 2024
Collision A1058 Coast Road westbound inside A188 Chillingham Road junction #Newcastle, three vehicles collision obstructing fast lane, police on scene. – 9 December 2024
Two taken to hospital after Scotswood Road collision closes road during rush hour – 13 December 2024
Blackett Street collision sees pedestrian taken to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary – 13 December 2024
Collision A167 Jedburgh Road ((North West Radial) northbound approaching Cowgate junction, five vehicles collision obstructing a lane and causing congestion – 16 December 2024
A1058 Coast Road eastbound downstream the A186 roundabout #Newcastle, three vehicles collision blocking a lane – 18 December 2024
Victim of A69 crash at Throckley is named as heartbroken family pay tribute to ‘amazing human’ The man who died in a shocking crash on the A69 at Throckley has been named as Matthew Newton, 28, and his heartbroken family described him as “too good for his own good”. The Carlisle man died at the scene of the crash on November 28, shortly after 11.30pm. He had been the passenger in a grey Ford Raptor vehicle and sustained serious injuries when it left the road. Another man, 34-year-old Ross Neville, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and will next appear at Newcastle Crown Court on December 23.