2009-08-10 - Rider Down, Southwark Bridge, North side

Fuck.

I attended the court case for the driver in the SL case. Police bod was there saying how this junction was ripe for another accident and I found it hard to disagree. Always hoped that it wouldn't happen again.

Fingers crossed for a happy ending.

Initial rumours on the LCC in Hackney and Tower Hamlets Wheelers mailing lists suggest that police attending the scene have been telling passing cyclists that the cyclist's injuries were 'not major'. However, police have passed on incorrect facts about such collisions in similar situations before, so that this is worth treating with caution.

I saw large tyre marks on Seb's street memorial the other day which means that corner must be too tight for HGV's.Really hope this rider is OK.

they should consider banning hgvs from turning onto southwark bridge from upper/lower thames

they should consider banning hgvs from turning onto southwark bridge from upper/lower thames

unlikely to happen as it would cost too much money and would impinge on the very important construction industry and have a knock on effect on the money making potential of the city.
it's all about priorities and the lives of pedestrians and cyclists don't figure very highly when it comes to road planning.

I saw large tyre marks on Seb's street memorial the other day which means that corner must be too tight for HGV's.Really hope this rider is OK.

The corner isn't too tight. The driver's are just turning too tight.

The corner isn't too tight. The driver's are just turning too tight.

That's what I meant.

unlikely to happen as it would cost too much money and would impinge on the very important construction industry and have a knock on effect on the money making potential of the city.
it's all about priorities and the lives of pedestrians and cyclists don't figure very highly when it comes to road planning.

agreed, it's unlikely to happen. but i dont think it would be that much trouble to make hgvs drive up to blackfriars

the pavement is quite wide, maybe they could narrow it and put a line of three or four large, well-anchored iron bollards about a metre away from the kerb into the road. Then lorries/cars/buses would be forced to take a wider arc around the corner, and the bollards would protect cyclists/pedestrians.

i don't think i've ever seen this anywhere though - perhaps there is a reason it has not been implemented (e.g. because cars might go straight in to the bollards...)

i have had to step back often while standing waiting to cross at the pedestrian crossing as lorries/buses misjudge the corner and come up onto the pavement.

Motorcyclist survived, and is in hospital with serious injuries - link

The fact that drivers, including a lorry, attempted to squeeze through the scene is pretty appalling.

Christ, all those cunts care about is getting to work on time.
Without jumping to conclusions, I would imagine that to cause that amount of damage, the car must have been travelling well in excess of the 30mph limit

Actually, just saw it was a head on collision so thats not necessarily the case

"A man who did not want to be named said: “This is unacceptable.
“There was an 80ft articulated lorry that made their way around it and they are telling me that they can’t let us through."

unbelievable!!!! all people care about is themselves.

i hope both riders pull through.

Fingers crossed they are alright

I'm sorry but why the fuck is that whole motorbike crash article about how the lorry blocked up the bridge? That's fucking insane.

I'm sorry but why the fuck is that whole motorbike crash article about how the lorry blocked up the bridge? That's fucking insane.

It's often the case with bad journalism on such collisions. The most disgusting example I remember is the BBC coverage of Wan-Chen McGuinness' death in Holborn last year. A seemingly endless report mainly focusing on the impact on motor traffic, by an evidently inexperienced young journalist, but that's no excuse in my book.

No excuse at all, there's a difference between shoddy journalism and clear lack of tact!

Whilst no-one wants to be sat in a traffic jam for hours, you'd have thought that they might have reflected on the injured party a bit more, rather than threatening to go whining to Boris. WTF are they going to say?

"Mayor Johnson, it is an absolute disgrace that I was late for work. Tell these good-for-nothings not to get themselves seriously injured in my path. A good rogering from the house master, that's what they need. I don't know, in my day we had a bit more moral fibre, what what?"

WA(bunch of)Cs.

fingers crossed for all concerned

ride safe. stay behind. R

"The woman was crushed by the truck belonging to the firm "Jim'll Mix It" at the junction of Upper Thames St and Southwark Bridge. She was also taken to the Royal London Hospital suffering from pelvis injuries."

Link

Hopefully that means her injuries are not life threatening!

I saw the aftermath of the motorbike smash on the Embankment. It was not pretty. Fingers crossed for both the biker and the cyclist.

any news on the southwark bridge crash? Cycled past this morning and it chilled my bones. Really hope whoever it was is pulling through. I cross Upper Thames St every day and always find the traffic too fast and/or the drivers too willing to trundle through amber lights and across the path of the cyclists crossing onto southwark bridge road...

From that Evening Standard article it doesn't look good. This is another horrible story and an accident that should be prevented.

How many times do cyclists need to be crushed by a left-turning lorry before something is actually done about it? It's great that the cops are ticketing RLJ and not addressing cabs in the ASLs or drivers not checking their mirrors. Disgusting.

Hopefully that means her injuries are not life threatening!

disappointingly not - pelvic injuries can be extremely serious.

hoping for the best for this rider.