A couple who were among the first on the scene of a fatal traffic accident at a notorious junction say more lives will be lost if highways bosses fail to take action.

Bob and Christine Walton, who live in Shepherds Lane, Dartford, rushed to the aid of biker Ollie Sherwood after his Yamaha motorbike collided with a Vauxhall Insignia at the junction with Heather Drive last Thursday evening.

Father-of-three Mr Sherwood, who was 29 and from Eltham, suffered serious injuries and died at the scene, while his 21-year-old passenger — believed to be his girlfriend — was flown to a London hospital, where she remains in a serious but stable condition.

Tributes have been paid to him both online and at the scene and a fundraising page has also been set up in his memory. It describes him as “a very much loved son, brother, dad and a friend to many”.

Mr Walton, 70, who has lived with his wife at their home on the corner of the two roads since 1981, said they knew something awful had happened as soon as they heard a loud bang outside just before 5pm.

He said: “It’s not the first time – we have had people go through the front wall three times – so as soon as you hear something like that you know something has happened out there.”

Although it has not been established if speed was an issue in this collision, Mr Walton said it was a concern along with safety in general.

“We have even had a police officer knocked off his bike on the road out here. It’s been going on for 18 months or more – people come off the A2 at a rate of knots and some nights here it’s like a racetrack.

“If you’ve got kids out there playing football or something like that, someone is going to get nailed. I just hope this jogs councillors into doing something – how many more need to be killed?”

He and his wife, 68, remain shaken by the incident, in which both roads were closed until around 10pm. Two fire engines, three ambulances, the air ambulance and police attended.

Mr Walton described the efforts made to save the victim, but said it was clear there was no hope.

“I heard the bang, ran out to the first person just across the road, checked for a pulse, couldn’t find a pulse, and realised someone else – a girl – was down. She was bleeding and had a broken arm at least, but she was alive.

“I told some other people who had come out not to let her move and I ran over to the other person on the ground, then the ambulance was here.

“A senior paramedic came over to us and told us to stop – she just said stop. She got us privacy blankets because she knew there was no hope. That’s when it hits home that you’ve not been able to do anything.

“The front of the motorbike was torn off completely, but it only stopped about 10 feet from the car.

“The bike was a total wreck. Nobody deserves to die like that – I have had a few sleepless nights.”

Kent Highways is now being urged to respond to concerns over the safety of the junction, with Heather Drive littered with cracks, deteriorating signage and worn speed bumps.

Mr Walton added: “I was out doing CPR on this person and these people that sit in these council offices don’t ever have to come out and see these things, or have to put up with it mentally afterwards.”

Heather Drive does have a weight restriction, but it is said to be ignored by some lorry drivers heading towards the Acorn Industrial Estate in Crayford.

Other motorists also use the road as a means of skipping the traffic lights at the junction of Shepherds Lane and Princes Road, which can leave traffic at a standstill for several minutes.

Such issues have been raised repeatedly at meetings of residents’ group Friends of the Heath at nearby Wentworth Primary School and ward councillors are aware.

Cllr Richard Wells (Con), who represents Heath ward, said: “It’s an issue we have been pushing Kent County Council on to do something, but so far we haven’t had a solution.

“We have been trying to get a width restriction put in place to try to slow down the bigger vehicles. It’s very sad indeed that this has had to happen and that it takes an incident like this to sit up and take notice, but we have been campaigning and pushing KCC to do something about it for quite some time.”

Cllr Andy Lloyd (Con), also of Heath ward, said: “People come off the A2 at Shepherds Lane and if the traffic lights at Princes Road are backed up, sat navs will often take them down Heather Drive.

It’s very sad indeed that this has had to happen and that it takes an incident like this to sit up and take notice" Cllr Richard Wells

“There are some speed bumps on there which were put in by KCC some time ago, but they are very ineffective, and there’s a seven and a half tonne restriction, which isn’t very well policed.

“We would like something done but it is tricky because you’ve also got to let the emergency services get down the road.”

Both councillors said there were similar concerns regarding Heathclose Road, almost directly opposite Heather Drive.

On April 14, 2014, a Renault veered off the road and landed on its side as it smashed into a wall just a few feet from the front of a semi-detached house.

Police were called, but miraculously nobody was injured.

KCC was approached for a response to the concerns over road safety in the area.

Officers from the police’s serious collision investigation unit are still appealing for witnesses to last Thursday’s fatal collision to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to call the appeal line on 01622 798538 or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk quoting 29-0936.

Until Friday October 14, this story incorrectly referred to Cllr Richard Wells as his colleague, Cllr Richard Lees. Apologies for the error.