2010-12-07 - Rider Down, Marble Arch Roundabout (London)

Spanna, you must have had a pretty rough 24hrs.
Well done on doing what you did though, it was invaluable.

Spanna and Concerned.

If I ever have anything like this happen to me (god forbid it happens to anyone) I hope I have people like you two around to help and comfort me.

hope she pulls through too

Getting all sentimental here but.. one of the great things about this here forum is that through threads like this and Spotted, you get a sense that when you're out on the road there are 'comrads' about... looking out for each other....:-)

Spanna, I have nothing but admiration for you.

I just called the ambulance - anybody could and would have done that. But holding the girl's hand and talking to her takes a strength of character and composure that very few of us have. Well done.

When my mind goes back over the whole event there are quite a few things that I can't really reconcile. Were there two cyclists talking to the girl, one wearing red and one wearing a yellow jacket?

When I was talking to the emergency services they kept asking me questions like - is she trapped above or below the knee? Can she breathe? Is she having trouble breathing? I tried to explain that whether she was breathing easily or not probably wasn't the real problem at that stage, but I think I asked one of you if she was having trouble breathing. I worried afterwards that might have sounded like a really inappropriate and strange question to be asking you, and you might have thought I was some kind of ghoulish voyeur to the whole thing.

Anyway, Spanna, (and anybody else who has come across this thread who was there must have been A LOT of people) - hope you are ok and take care of yourself. You behaved like a hero.

Really well said Sniffy. Have just been welling up for the poor girl after page 1 then got to page 2 and felt so relieved. You've said it perfectly. I hope to God she'll be ok. When will these frigging trucks be banned?!!!

awful awful awful.

hope she makes a good recovery.

those responsible for promoting and providing for mpv's should hang their heads low.

Crying again, THIS MUST END! In no other arena would this callous disregard for others safety be tolerated.

We're trying to change eighty years of disregard, Digger. It'll still take time. It's hard, but the goal is too important to let go of.

Trucks must be banned during commuting hours. I see no other solution, and to press for anything less will be innefective.

That's the "something must be done" bit out of the way.
This thread has convinced me that if I am ever unfortunate enough to witness something like this I will step in to hold the hand of the victim and do what I can to make sure they make it. My sister was a nurse for many years and used to say that holding someone's hand was more precious than anything.

I saw this incident today. The poor girl was on a bike and I heard her scream as she went under the truck. I was at the lights heading towards Oxford Street on a bike just a few metres away. I called the ambulance. I'm a bit traumatised by it all to be honest, and came across this thread after googling and hoping to find some good news that she was OK.

My new mission in life is to make a fuss to try to get something done about the way traffic goes round the Edgware Road end of the Marble Arch. About 20 seconds before this happened I was cut up by a black BWM that cut across the lane going towards Oxford Street - I swore at him a few times and a few seconds later the poor girl went under the truck. Unbelievable. It very nearly was me today. That junction is a mess.

I'm not religious, but thoughts and prayers go to that poor girl and her family.

Make sure you get you details get to the police/cyclist

Hope that the injuries are minimal.

I saw this incident today. The poor girl was on a bike and I heard her scream as she went under the truck. I was at the lights heading towards Oxford Street on a bike just a few metres away. I called the ambulance. I'm a bit traumatised by it all to be honest, and came across this thread after googling and hoping to find some good news that she was OK.

My new mission in life is to make a fuss to try to get something done about the way traffic goes round the Edgware Road end of the Marble Arch. About 20 seconds before this happened I was cut up by a black BWM that cut across the lane going towards Oxford Street - I swore at him a few times and a few seconds later the poor girl went under the truck. Unbelievable. It very nearly was me today. That junction is a mess.

I'm not religious, but thoughts and prayers go to that poor girl and her family.

I'm in, there's a similar situation on Chelsea bridge and all they need do is continue the cycle lanes over the bridge on the very wide pedestrian walkway. PM me.

also i take it people saw this particulr incident hit the evening standard last night....?

Hope you get through this ok, lady cyclist. My thoughts are with you. I have nothing but admiration for those who have helped, make sure you take care of yourselves now.

What shocks me is that this could easily have been anyone on this forum. We are all literally sitting ducks out there, there is nothing we can do and I think It's up to the drivers to make sure we are safe too. The latter just isn't happening enough.

What shocks me is that this could easily have been anyone on this forum. We are all literally sitting ducks out there, there is nothing we can do and I think It's up to the drivers to make sure we are safe too. The latter just isn't happening enough.

The law is really clear, if seldom enforced, if you hit someone with a vehicle which you are operating you are at fault unless the other party has thrown themselves under you, driving with due care and attention means that you do not drive any faster than you can stop before any obstacle and you do not drive without being able to see what is before you, if everyone followed these simple requirements there would be almost no incidents, the most obviously disturbing problem we face is that seemingly the worst drivers are professional ones entrusted with the most deadly vehicles and that there's no public concern about their consistent killing and maiming.

What shocks me is that this could easily have been anyone on this forum.

I disagree: while there are a probably a large number of idiot RLJing pedestrian buzzing fixie-skidders on this here forum there are also a fair number of sensible folk who hold the primary position and reporting dangerous drivers to the police in VERY high regard. These folks are more than happy to advise on safe riding in given situations and there are many threads here discussing such topics.

Essentially:While I realise that we still share the road with idiots and it technicall could happen to us I think the 'easily' remark can be very well mitigated.

whilst i appreciate this may appear a little insensitive given the recent nature of this thoroughly unpleasant incident, but here goes: is there any clarification as to the circumstances that led up to this accident? was it another 'cyclist obeying the law and stopping at a red, only to be t-boned by a left turning vehicle that couldnt be arsed to check his mirrors' affair?

I know I'm probably repeating myself here and that what I'm about to say is hardly scientific evidence but wanted to say something again to Concerned and Spanna.

My friend was in a similar accident and suffered horrendous injuries about 18 months ago. After a long battle (and being read her last rites) she is now on the road to recovery and beginning to make good progress on getting used to life with a leg missing. Indeed, with the help of some of her friends, she is currently working on getting back on her bike. Just wanted to offer a glimmer of hope.

She is reading this thread (not a member) firstly because she is concerned about the victims wellbeing but also because she now dedicates her free time to campaigning for road safety and more sensible lorry laws and likes to keep abreast of accidents that happen in London.

She wanted me to let Spanna and Concerned know that despite the fact that she was virtually unconscious from blood loss after the accident, she remembers clearly that somebody was holding her hand and talking to her and that even though she knew she was potentially gravely injured knowing that somebody was there for her made all the difference. Bizarelly, she remembers feeling at peace and comfortable knowing that even if the worst happens, she had a caring person with her to support her through it. She wanted to pass on her thanks to you both for calling the ambulance and staying with the injured lady. You have both made a difference here.

We may never know what happened. To be honest, it doesn't really matter. Whether it was cyclist or driver error or a bit of both doesn't take away from the fact that goods vehicles on the road in rush hour create the risk of something like this happening.

I disagree: while there are a probably a large number of idiot RLJing pedestrian buzzing fixie-skidders on this here forum there are also a fair number of sensible folk who hold the primary position and reporting dangerous drivers to the police in VERY high regard. These folks are more than happy to advise on safe riding in given situations and there are many threads here discussing such topics.

Essentially:While I realise that we still share the road with idiots and it technicall could happen to us I think the 'easily' remark can be very well mitigated.

I mean in the fact that as cyclists we are so vulnerable to motor vehicles, all it takes is one lapse of concentration by a driver and they can be over you. Now one lapse in concentration by a cyclists could result in the cyclist falling off or hurting himself - nowhere near as bad.

Prob not the best place to discuss I agree - as a cyclist coming from west going towards oxford street you have to be in the middle lane of five lanes merging and some trying to get up edgeware rd from park lane. The junction is always crowded and congested with all road users there making bad judgements. Best to wait for official outcome

whilst i appreciate this may appear a little insensitive given the recent nature of this thoroughly unpleasant incident, but here goes: is there any clarification as to the circumstances that led up to this accident? was it another 'cyclist obeying the law and stopping at a red, only to be t-boned by a left turning vehicle that couldnt be arsed to check his mirrors' affair?

Agree with Hael - best to leave speculation out of the discussion and assume eye witnesses will speak to the police about what they saw. News reports suggest court proceedings are in motion.

fair do's then. ftr i'm not asking in a ghoulish, rubbernecking fashion - i agree in retrospect too - let's leave the analysis until the lady in question is on the mend. appols.

I disagree: while there are a probably a large number of idiot RLJing pedestrian buzzing fixie-skidders on this here forum there are also a fair number of sensible folk who hold the primary position and reporting dangerous drivers to the police in VERY high regard. These folks are more than happy to advise on safe riding in given situations and there are many threads here discussing such topics.

Essentially:While I realise that we still share the road with idiots and it technicall could happen to us I think the 'easily' remark can be very well mitigated.

I'm a senior cycle instructor Benjam, I cycle using the National Standards 'Best Practice' model. I have three times been hit and knocked down from directly behind, twice whilst stationary, by vehicles that had started up and driven into me whilst being aware of my presence but 'thought I might have moved', one of them was a bus and one of them was a cab which swerved into the bus lane to avoid hitting a car which was clearly turning right and which he was speeding towards. We can make ourselves safer by using the assertive cycling techniques outlined in 'Cyclecraft' by John Franklin and championed in National Standard Cycling, but we are probably the cyclists doing the highest milage which will inevitably bring us into contact with the most inconsiderate, aggressive, worst drivers with but little understanding of the consequences of their own actions and seemingly no basic human empathy.

This situation must change, professional large vehicle operators must improve or these vehicles must be removed, the death and maiming must end!

Wow, reading this thread is a really emotional experience. I've often, somewhat macabrely, wondered what I would do if I witnessed a collision like this. A big thumbs up to the cyclists who stayed with the injured lady and the person who called the emergency services - you have done an amazing thing and helped to ease and comfort someone in their hour of need. As Oliver said, be aware you may well be in shock after such a harrowing event (this can even kick in a few days later) but I'd also encourage you, if you haven't done so already, to ensure that the Police take a full witness statement from you (written down and signed, not just notes in a PC's notebook) as soon as possible and that you also ensure that they give you a copy of your statement to keep. You may well find you have to be quite forceful with the police to get them to do this, but it's really important. I know it's not the time to be thinking about apportioning blame for the collision and we do not know what happened here but if in the future there is some sort of trial your statements will be so crucial and of course memories of these things get skewed as time goes on.

Well done you three, thoughts and prayers to the lady cyclist and her family and friends and let's hope she is receiving the most excellent care and being looked after, and like everyone else has said on here let's make sure we keep the pressure up on reducing the biggest sources of danger.