Tragedy On Guildford’s Roads – Two Elderly Pedestrians Die On Same Day

Published on: 18 Mar, 2025
Updated on: 19 Mar, 2025

The Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford.

Two pedestrians have died on Guildford’s roads in a single day.

Early on Tuesday afternoon (March 18) a car collided with a woman in her 70s outside the Royal Surrey County Hospital.

Despite the best efforts of medical staff, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a separate incident earlier the same day, there was a serious collision involving an HGV and a 75-year-old woman on the A322 Worplesdon Road, near the Aldershot Road junction. She died at the scene.

Police said that in both cases the next of kin had been informed and were being supported by specially trained officers.

Regarding the tragedy outside the hospital, a police spokesperson said: “If you witnessed this incident, have dashcam footage, or any information that may be relevant, please contact us quoting PR/SYP-20250318-0338.

“If you do not wish to speak to police, you can contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Police are also appealing for witnesses to the tragic incident on the Worplesdon Road.

A statement said: “An investigation is underway and we are keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed this incident.

“If you have any information that may assist our investigation, please get in touch quoting PR/45250031978 via direct message or by calling 101.

“If you would rather not speak to police, you can call independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Responses to Tragedy On Guildford’s Roads – Two Elderly Pedestrians Die On Same Day

Nathan Cassidy Reply

March 20, 2025 at 10:08 am

Thank you for reporting this tragedy. However, “A car collided with a woman” is neutral language and treats the car and woman as equally responsible. The woman is not to blame when only one has the capability of harming the other. The driver of a car hit and killed a woman.

Please follow the suggested guidelines for reporting road violence: https://road-collision-reporting-guidelines.uk/introduction/

Editor’s comment: The advice you reference does not appear to be authoratative, ie from a legal body or press regulator, but rather something offered, however wisely, by a journalist. However her advice is: “This could mean describing all human actors in collisions neutrally, such as “driver and pedestrian in collision”, rather than, say, “pedestrian hit by car”, which research shows unintentionally shifts focus to the only named human actor, and implicitly attaches a degree of blame.”

I beieve that is what we have done. Pedestrians, while unprotected and therefore more vulnerable, can still be culpable. The wording we used reflected the police report and I believe is correct and was not intended to imply blame.