A UKRAINIAN who died in a three-car accident on the North Bank near Whittlesey has been named.

Jurij Grisko suffered a traumatic cardiac arrest after the collision involving three cars where one went off the road and into the nearby River Nene at noon on Saturday (September 8).

A 35-year-old man from Peterborough, driving a Rover 200, suffered minor injuries in the incident but a 56-year-old man, driving a Jaguar S-Type, was seriously injured.

A spokesman for Magpas said they provided Mr Grisko, 50, of Kesteven Walk, Peterborough, with “advanced life support” and “helped control his breathing and administered drugs and fluids”.

“Sadly, despite all their best efforts - including more than 40 minutes attempted resuscitation - the patient was pronounced dead at the scene, our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”

The road was closed for several hours following the accident.

Graham Chappell, organiser of the Fenland Road Safety Campaign (Charlotte’s Way) campaign said: “It has been evident that for a long time the North Bank has been the most regularly lethal of the roads our efforts have targeted.

“Our campaign has focused on lobbying for improved safety infrastructure, and especially more safety barriers, being installed along these river adjacent roads.

“Cost considerations have obliged us to aim for targeted safety barrier installation, at obvious high risk spots such as bends and junctions, and in 2008 I entered into communication with Peterborough City Council officials regarding the possibility of a stretch of barrier being installed on the blind bend at the Northey end, where a fatal immersion RTA had prompted the installation of ‘slow down’ signs a few years ago.

“Sadly PCC officials were dismissive of the prospect of safety barrier installation on the North Bank at that time.

“We therefore focused our efforts instead on negotiations with Cambs County Council, who are responsible for two of the three roads, and have now secured agreement for jointly funded new safety barrier installation, this year, at Bedlam Bridge, near March.

“Cambs CC has also already installed a new stretch of safety barrier towards the Chatteris end of the Sixteen Foot, at their own expense.

“The tragedy will be no less for the family and friends of the individual who has died on the North Bank, regardless of whether it has occurred as a result of river immersion or vehicle impact, and it is clear that there are general hazards involved with vehicle speed, overtaking and narrowness of the carriageway on this road.

“Nonetheless, the news of this latest fatal RTA, will be of particular interest to a number of Campaign supporters, and especially those similarly bereaved, if it has involved another river immersion death.”