2012-08-01 - Rider Down/Fatality, Ruckholt Road/East Cross Road (London)

Finding it really hard to keep it together today. I'm really upset by this.

While i undoubtedly feel relieved that it was not one of 'us' from the forum and that every cyclists death is tragic, looking at his website and seeing someone so young and similar to me and so many of us is really hard to take.

All the best to his friends and family.

RIP Dan

Rip

Why am I not allowed to cross post in threads?! I was simply trying to reach the original poster, Ive2dogs, by the quickest means possible to make contact, have also messaged him privately. I did work with the cyclist, and we are looking to do something in his memory. Thank you.

deep apologies offered.. As Object said your posts had the feel of a journalist digging..

x

This is horrendous, we are devastated for this guys family and friends.
We have been complaining to the Olympic Authorities about this junction for 6 years.

Eight years, Charlie, not that it matters. I just dug up the first submission we made around the time of the candidate file.

This area is where the city fails; where a motorway (the M11 Link Road, now known as the A12), has been bombed into a densely-populated place at the cost of many houses, generating unsustainable levels of through motor traffic for no gain, and now used by the unsustainable Olympics to ferry coachload after coachload directly onto the motorway, which is what cost Dan his life.

None of this was necessary; there was neither any need whatsoever to concrete over our beautiful East Marsh for a coach park, nor any need for the excessive motor traffic access. It's just the way certain people 'do' the Olympics and from which they don't want to divert. Dan has become the first and hopefully the last victim of this short-sighted planning.

The Olympics in London could have marked a sea-change in the way this event is run, but virtually all opportunities to make its transport better were missed. Now the only way in which this is managed appears to be by leaving lots of empty seats.

Dan's seat will remain empty for a lot longer than these few weeks. Rest in peace, Dan.

RIP Dan. This is so tragic, so upsetting. Such a waste of life, so unnecessary, and it is so frustrating to know that these accidents will keep happening as long as planners create such dangerous spaces in the city. To that extent it's a political issue. If this summer really is a turning point for cycling in the UK, then it should also be the summer when the public at large realise this and say no more.

I heard this news last night, still cant believe it.

RIP Dan

From his website. I quote it here because I feel it illustrates something. Try as hard as you might not to - you'll identify with this guy one way or another. Sounds like a dynamic and intelligent character. His friends and family must be dealing with a very big Dan shaped hole right now.

Ride very safe out there people xx

"I like to go rock climbing, kayaking, running and cycling, with a bit of football (soccer) thrown in from time to time.
I keep an eye on Arsenal FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Celtics, Leyton Orient, Plymouth Argyle
I love my camera, my PS3, cooking food, fiddling with Photoshop and going to as many gigs as my wallet allows – my music taste is dubious at best, you have been warned."

From his website. I quote it here because I feel it illustrates something. Try as hard as you might not to - you'll identify with this guy one way or another. Sounds like a dynamic and intelligent character. His friends and family must be dealing with a very big Dan shaped hole right now.

Ride very safe out there people xx

"I like to go rock climbing, kayaking, running and cycling, with a bit of football (soccer) thrown in from time to time.
I keep an eye on Arsenal FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Celtics, Leyton Orient, Plymouth Argyle
I love my camera, my PS3, cooking food, fiddling with Photoshop and going to as many gigs as my wallet allows – my music taste is dubious at best, you have been warned."

I really don't know why, but it feels as if I have lost a personal friend, and the sorrow and pain seems to be shared by others who have posted here.

The comments from young forum members, dealing with distraught parents fearing the worst, to the happy go lucky excerpts from his on line writing, only serve to make Dan a real and tangible person, and not "just" another accident statistic.

Rest in peace young man. Your tragic death has touched so many people, who never had the pleasure and privilege to meet and know you.

UK Press Association

Cyclist killed by Olympic bus named
A cyclist killed by an official Olympic media bus in London has been named as Daniel Harris.
Mr Harris, 28, was killed on Wednesday night outside the Olympic Park when he was hit by the bus ferrying journalists between venues.
The bus driver was arrested and bailed on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, police said.
An inquest into Mr Harris's death was opened and adjourned at a brief hearing at Poplar Coroner's Court on Thursday. None of Mr Harris' family were present and the hearing was adjourned until August 31.
Mr Harris was from Ilford, Essex and was reportedly a web specialist who had only begun recently using his bike to commute into London.
His was the 10th death involving bikes in the capital this year.
Scotland Yard said Mr Harris, from Waterloo Road, Ilford, was involved in the crash at 7.42pm on Wednesday at the junction of Ruckholt Road (A106) and the East Cross Route (A12) on the edge of the Olympic Park. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8.14pm. A post-mortem will take place on Friday.
A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman added: "A man aged 65 was arrested at the scene at 9.28pm on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and was taken to an east London police station. He has been bailed pending further inquiries to a date in late August."
Another cyclist, who claimed he was behind Mr Harris when he was killed, wrote in an internet posting: "The lights changed just as he was in the bus's blind spot and as he was attempting to go straight the bus turned left. He didn't really have anywhere to go. I crawled up to him and tried to talk to him. I did my best to look him straight in the eyes and tell him he was going to be OK. Maybe a minute later, I could tell he'd passed."
Mr Harris described himself on his blog as a freelance community manager with an online printing firm who, as well as cycling, also enjoyed kayaking and rock climbing.
Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

It's funny. He has a photo of himself on that site. I was thinking, if he was known hereabouts someone would have had a pop at him for his hipster scarf / specs get up. This incident is no more real than any of the other awful things that have befallen riders on our roads, but he's clearly someone it's easy to imagine knowing. Brings it all home in much the same way as that guy (also called Dan) who died last year in Dalston did. Very very sad.

A post on the Moo site.

http://www.moo.com/blog/2012/08/02/a-sad-day-at-moo/

VB, can we fund a forum wreath or something, when the time's right?

Of course.

Not even a question.

What's the addy again?

Just make a normal donation if you feel the need or a one-off to paypal@lfgss.com . Regardless of whether there are enough donations to cover it I just go and do what is needed.

And if it is obvious that donations exceed what is required for a wreath (i.e. in the case of regular donations that you put a message in the PayPal screen so I know it's for this), then I'll round up the amount and donate it to an applicable charity (RoadPeace would be my choice in this case).

His photograph will haunt me for a long time. Heartbreaking to read his colleagues thoughts and prayers. Makes it all the more personal. Hopefully someone with some power will start realising these are people not just statistics...

This is truly horrible news.

I really don't know whether this is the place to discuss this, so delete it if you feel it's necessary.

I have no idea if this is the case with this incident, but I feel you should all take extra care around busses during the olympics. Whoever has been managing the olympic transport has drafted in a load of drivers from around the country (who have obviously had very little experience with london roads) - I know whoever does Go North East, their drivers were allowed to apply.

I really can't see how having a load of drivers who really don't know the roads down there is a good idea.

Please, take extra care during the games for this reason... and as I say, if it's the wrong place, please feel free to delete or move this.

My thoughts go out to family / friends & forumers.

What a terrible waste. My thoughts are with Daniel's family & friends. So much more than a statistic..

Will donate, and hope to go and light a candle at the spot tomorrow evening.

So completely awful.

Rest in peace Dan. Ride safe all

This one has hit me hard too if im honest and I dont know why so much. working today I have had 2 idiots shout at me to get a helmet on and Im sick of the absolute idiocy of people. If the media want to campaign and get on the band wagon, I suggest driver awareness.

Im so angry about all this and the clear lack of care the olympic organisers have shown that I rekon I just need to stop reading this or anything else. Im so angry. If I didnt have to ride around the city daily for work, I would avoid it right now at all costs.

RIP man, I hope atleast that all this stupid media crap leads to good things. Regardless, a loss of life is never worth anything.

Enough donations already received for flowers to be placed.

Anyone donating in Dan's name from here out is basically using me as a proxy to give to Road Peace. You can alternatively just donate direct to them: http://www.roadpeace.org/donate/

Only just got round to donating. No worries VB, I know it's going to a good cause.