Calls for a lower speed limit in Waterworks Valley have been renewed after a nine-month-old kitten was killed by a passing car on New Year’s Day morning.
In a post on social media, Tim Le Cornu said the incident occurred “right outside” his house on a single-file country lane where the current legal speed limit is 40mph.
“To make matters worse, the driver failed to stop,” he added.
Mr Le Cornu lives on Les Charrieres Nicolle in St Lawrence, where he also runs agricultural co-operative Jerriaise d’Or Goat Farm.
He described the death of Misty – a French rescue cat who arrived in Jersey in October with her brother Robin – as devastating, adding that the surviving kitten is “lost without his sister”.
Despite the road featuring blind corners and a narrow carriageway, the cat owner said that vehicles routinely travel at speed through Waterworks Valley.
Mr Le Cornu described “night-time ‘boy racers’ using the lane as a track”, “commercial vehicles, HGVs, and tractors hurtling past”, and “commuters driving far too fast for a road where children and animals live”.
“It is honestly a miracle that a person hasn’t been seriously injured or killed here yet,” he added.
“We’ve got farm animals. We’ve got domestic animals. We’ve got a five-year-old child and lots of kids who come and visit the farm, and then there’s all these heavy-goods vehicles who just use it as a rat run.
It is honestly a miracle that a person hasn’t been seriously injured or killed here yet
tim le cornu
“Occasionally, there are boy racers who break the 40mph speed limit but most of the road users are abiding by the speed limit. But the real point is that 40mph is just too much for the road. So even if they are within the speed limit, it’s still dangerous for people using the roads.”
Mr Le Cornu added: “We used to push our daughter around the lane in her pram and we were like cowering into bushes and stuff as these lorries were hurtling around the corner – and the tractor drivers aren’t any better either.”
The goat farm owner has erected his own “safety zone” signs urging drivers to slow to 20mph.
“Hopefully some people will take notice of it,” said Mr Le Cornu.
“But it is a shame that we’ve got to the point where we’ve had to take matters into our own hands.”
He claimed that, several years ago, he was assured by the government that the speed limit would be reviewed – but no change has followed. Express has contacted the Infrastructure Department for comment.
“We’re reaching out again, but we shouldn’t have to lose a beloved pet to get someone to listen,” added Mr Le Cornu.
“Please, if you drive through Waterworks Valley, slow down. A few seconds of your time isn’t worth a life.”
Jerriaise d’Or Goat Farm is an agricultural co-operative in St Lawrence dedicated to reintroducing the Golden Guernsey goat to Jersey, and is known for its award-winning artisan cheese.