THE son of a computer programmer knocked down and killed by a high-performance sports car near his Southampton home is calling for speed cameras to prevent another tragedy.

John Griffiths labelled Bassett Avenue a death trap after his father Laurence, 55, died when the Maserati Coupe spun out of control and mounted a pavement.

As previously reported in the Daily Echo, crash investigators said they believed the driver, Ronald Griffiths, was travelling at more than the 40mph prior to the tragedy.

John Griffiths, 32, who moved to America in 1997, said: "It is a raceway, a horse and cart lane used as the main thoroughfare into Southampton with little speed control.

"How many people will be killed on that stretch before somebody realises that it is a death trap for pedestrians as well as drivers?

"My father was walking on the path, away from traffic."

He added among the solutions that should be considered to slow traffic was to introduce speed cameras.

Laurence Griffiths was struck by the car as he walked along the pavement in November last year after taking a screen break from his computer at his home in nearby Bassett Row. His widow, Alison, said: "I'm always driving along there and keep to the speed limit, but people are forever overtaking and speeding.

"It just makes me cringe as I know what can happen and I think cameras would help."

The inquest into the accident was told Ronald Griffiths, 57, was driving along the northbound carriageway when he was forced to swerve after a car cut in front of him.

His vehicle spun into the kerb and smashed into two trees, but he did not realise he had also struck a pedestrian until he was told as he sat in an ambulance at the crash site.

Deputy coroner Gordon Denson said Ronald Griffiths had been forced to make a split-second decision when the car cut him up and decide whether to collide with it or take evasive action.

Julian Hewitt, from Hampshire's Safety Camera Partnership, said: "When looking at where to put cameras we look to see where there are accident clusters.

"Bassett Avenue has not come up in our trawl of sites but if concerns are raised that there is a problem then we will look at the situation."