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Cyclist dies in red-light lorry crash
Ed Harris, Evening Standard22.04.08
A cyclist was killed when he was crushed under the wheels of a lorry, after apparently jumping a red light.
The 30-year old died in the collision in Hackney yesterday morning. Witnesses said the cyclist had jumped a red light as he headed south in Kingsland Road and tried to ride around the lorry, which was pulling into the road from Middleton Road.
The driver is thought to have been unaware that the collision had taken place.
A policeman flagged down the lorry after one of his back wheels had gone over the cyclist.
A witness, shop manager Ali Topal, 18, said: "The lorry ran over the man's head. I'm not sure if he was wearing a helmet. It was horrific."
Pensioner Brenda Dilworth, 64, said: "I saw the lorry after the bike hit it. It was obvious the driver hadn't realised what had happened. A policeman banged on the driver's window and he finally stopped but it was too late.
"There was a lot of blood on the road. It's terribly sad. To me he looked between 25 and 30 years old."
Tailor Halit Tekdiect, 62, said: "I heard a bang and a man screaming outside my shop. I saw the aftermath of the accident, it was horrendous."
A police spokesman confirmed a white male aged 30 was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
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Horrendous indeed. I myself jump red lights but have slowed down recently due to 2 bad accidents. A work colleague actually saw this accident and was notably shaken. I realise the poor guy was jumping a light but I don't know if anyone else has noticed how fast these skip drivers race around our road. It was inevitable that last year a National Express coach was involved in a fatal accident, something I and a few friends had accurately predicted. I had been forced off the roads of South London several times and always by a Nat Express coach. I warned a policeman at the time of an impending fatal accident involving these drivers which fell on deaf ears. It does feel like we cyclists are second-class citizens and I'm sure there will be a lot of petrol heads secretly scoffing at this poor guys - and indeed his families' mishap, such is my experience of fellow road-users.
When told by a colleague of a fatal cycling accident my first question was "Was it a skip lorry ?"
Enough said.
Any of you skipdrivers in East London reading this will be happy to learn that I am following one of you around with a camera to prove how reckless you can be. I'm not saying it's all of you, but sadly for this poor victim there are too many of these hooligans on the road.
And I make no apologies for that term - hooligans.
PS Did this guy really jump the lights? There seems to be some disagreement on this.
- Mark, London
His poor family, RIP mate.
- Joe, Birmingham
This is horrific however it happened.
I don't really don't get Stewart's view about it being horrific to carry kids on a bike. Are you essentially saying that you risk your life every time you cycle, even as a very aware and cautious cyclist? That is insane!
More training is needed for all - cyclists, motorists and pedestrians.
- Katy, Hackney, London
