2011-10-03 - Rider Down/Fatality, Kings Cross

Well I've said I'm more than happy to help and she seems keen...

to be fair, she is a trainee.

there is no excuse for lazy journalism

It's not the right thread for this, but if I could ask journalists three things when reporting on cycle crashes, it would be these:

(1) It is generally completely irrelevant whether a victim of a fatal or serious collision was wearing a helmet or not.

(2) 'The cyclist collided with the car' is not what is the case in 99% of incidents. It is mostly the driver's car that collided with the cyclist.

(3) Whether there was 'traffic chaos' in the area afterwards may be a fact, but not one that should be overplayed or even become the main angle of your article.

It's not the right thread for this, but if I could ask journalists three things when reporting on cycle crashes, it would be these:

(1) It is generally completely irrelevant whether a victim of a fatal or serious collision was wearing a helmet or not.

(2) 'The cyclist collided with the car' is not what is the case in 99% of incidents. It is mostly the driver's car that collided with the cyclist.

(3) Whether there was 'traffic chaos' in the area afterwards may be a fact, but not one that should be overplayed or even become the main angle of your article.

This is very sad news and my smpathy goes out to the girls family and friends but after reading your post.

It's not generally completly irrelevent whether a victim of a fatal or serious collision was wearing a helmet or not especially. If the rider died or suffered from head injurys.
I was involved in collision once and my head hit the windscreen,smashed it etc. i took my helmet off in 2 pieces. I guess without the helmet my head could have been in 2 pieces.

helmet thread:
http://www.lfgss.com/thread1525-70.html

RIP unknown young lady

as usual i cant stop thinking about this.

so more prayers for the rider, family and friends.

I am horribly saddened to see this news. My deepest condolences to the young woman's family and friends. A terrible waste of potential.

I know this is not the place for discussion.

A helmet would not stop a 20 ton truck.

The barge boards on HGV are pathetic and need to be revised so that it cannot 'drive over' obstacles.

Needs similar to 'cowcatcher' plough/skirt infront of wheels.

The Evening Standard Piece has been cut to this (Perhaps in response to the outrage expressed by people here):
'A cyclist killed by a lorry outside King's Cross station was named today as a 24-year-old fashion student from Korea.
Min Joo Lee suffered fatal head injuries yesterday when she was crushed under the wheels of the HGV.
She was the 13th cyclist to die on London's roads this year."

Rest in peace Min Joo Lee.

Bloody Hell, what a nightmare.
This makes me so sad and very angry. A terrible and stupid waste.

RIP Min Joo Lee.
Prayers for you, your family and friends.

Rest in peace fellow cyclist.

Oh dear, very sad.

i was riding down from the top of Pentonville Rd to Euston Rd. destination Warren street. The road was closed above the bus lane became a single lane to Midland Rd, very wide area.
I saw a bicycle on the ground, (direction East, up to Pentonville Rd, York Way, just after the cross road) colored as far as I remember black white and a bit of red, seams to me a road race one. A blue tent and two ambulances around and two vans. Police man said that a push bike was hit by a van with fatal consequences.
It was really shocked, RIP.

Just 24 years old. The details surrounding this story are just awful and I keep thinking about this young lady and the way in which she died.

My heart really does go out to her family, especially if they are having to travel here from Korea to lay her to rest.

This article on Cycling Intelligence blog shows just how awful the entire area around the station is for cycling: http://cycling-intelligence.com/2011/10/05/cyclist-killed-at-kings-cross-a-predictable-death/
Joo Lee is the 4th (female) cyclist to die in the area since 2006. I find that shocking, sickening and desperately, desperately tragic.

Very grim, rest in peace, Min.

Thanks for all the prayers.

Her parents arrived yesterday from Korea to see her, and they are with her right now.
Some might not recognize her Korean name as she was usually called Deep Lee among her friends.
This only happened on the first day of her final year at uni, Central Saint Martins.
It's really sad and painful for her friends and family.
Thanks for being supportive, all of you.

Thank you for putting for the info. RIP

Hi there,

I'm running the blog "Cycling Intelligence" (http://cycling-intelligence.com/) and do wonder if we should organise some kind of commemorative event for the poor girl. LCC's Islington Cyclists did something similar after a recent fatality on Holloway road.

It might be an idea to do this next Wednesday (12 October) prior to the Blackfriars flashride (http://lcc.org.uk/pages/blackfriars) is is supposed to start at 6pm. We could gather around 5pm, drop some flowers and then cycle to Blackfriars.

Does anyone know if her parents will be still in town next Wednesday? They should be invited, as well as all students at St. Martins...

What's your opinion ? Any further ideas?
Best regards
Olaf

you might want to reconsider this - especially the inviting the parents angle. If they are OG asian folks it is the done thing to respect their wishes to internalise thier grief - im not sure about Korean culture but in Chinese culture you're not even supposed to leave the house or have anyone over for quite a while after a tragedy. i'm sure we all appreciate the thought behind this, but a bit of quiet, respectful distance may be best for the people most acutely affected by this horrific tragedy right now.

/not that i in any way speak for anyone or their culture and if it so happens that they're up for it, then i shall delete this post.

cut down at such a young age.

what a terrible state of affairs.

it is a scandal.

Camden New Journal has an in-depth report about delayed work that 'might have saved cyclist's life'.

Olaf, as others have said, leave the initiative to the family. People grieve in very different ways. Some families want to go very public, others prefer not to have it advertised loudly at all. You just can't know.

Her parents will leave right after the cremation today to start their own service back in Korea.
They want to pass this moment very quietly as it's too painful for them.
I'm not Buddhist so not sure about the procedure, but all I know is that they need to start the service at the temple on exact 7th day since her death, hence leaving London early with no funeral service here.

Thanks for the support Olaf, however, inviting her parents is not a good idea as they don't want anything loud, and they leave today anyway. Hope you can respect their decision, and you may go on without involing her families if you want to carry commemorative event for Minjoo.

Thanks for the words Catfood, and Oliver.

Camden New Journal has an in-depth report about delayed work that 'might have saved cyclist's life'.

So little has come about from this, if all the details and stats regarding deaths of cyclists on londons roads was up to date, accurate and readily available in one place the half wit reporters could be sent there to put some sense in their articles.

Should one of londons Olympic visitors be killed then the news would be global.. Global news outlining the dangerous roads backed with shocking but true stats might prompt a change in attitude towards cyclists

24.. That's so sad

i went past the scene (flowers on railings) today.

just so sad.