2013-09-03 - Rider Down, Tower Bridge Road/Tooley Street

Just spoke to my girlfriend who was at the scene. Incident next to NatWest bank at the corner of Tooley St and Tower Bridge Rd involving a car transporter. Bike was broken under the front wheels. Emergency services in attendance. Hopes and prayers for the rider.

Hope things are better than this reads.

I passed by here just as an air ambulance was leaving. Looked very serious - thoughts with those involved.

Oh dear! Thoughts and prayers with the casuatly and loved ones.

Thoughts to the rider and their family. This junction is a death trap. When travelling east on tooley street and waiting at that junction with tower bridge that right hander is a nightmare. What's the story?

Passed this on the way home and can confirm it was a left-turning lorry. Can't say whether the cyclist was turning or going straight on, but from the angle of the vehicle it appears that the driver took a sharp left and went straight over the top of the poor cyclist. Fingers crossed they survive...

Thoughts with the rider and friends and family.
That's a very sharp left turn and very dangerous when a lorry driver tries it. Normally traffic from Tooley Steet onto Tower Bridge would use the easy left turn before the bus stop and not attempt it at the traffic lights.

http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/7062

Yes, hoping for the best.

Which way was the lorry turning? The only legal left turns are from the bridge to Tooley st eastbound, or from Tooley st to Bridge northbound.

Was this a large car transporter or a single vehicle transporter? Lorries over 18 tons are banned from using Tower Bridge.

This pic suggests the lorry was turning left from Tower Bridge Road into the western arm of Queen Elizabeth Street
http://t.co/gNnDO1cfxa

Rode past the scene earlier. Confirm what se1 said, truck heading north on bridge and turning left on queen elizabeth st. Hope rider ok. That bridge is one of worst places on my commute and neither drivers nor many cyclists play it safe

Thanks for clarification

This pic suggests the lorry was turning left from Tower Bridge Road into the western arm of Queen Elizabeth Street
http://t.co/gNnDO1cfxa
This is a legal turn but very tight and only used by buses, people who are lost and as the escape route for lorries avoiding the 18 ton weight limit on Tower Bridge.
http://is.gd/YK0nyl
Other picture on twitter shows a 3-axle 24-26 ton lorry

I followed a fire truck on the way home (I live on Queen Elizabeth St) over Tower Bridge and saw him under the truck probably 5-10 mins after it happened.

His leg(s) were under the front wheel - he seemed calm (or maybe in shock) with the medics looking after him. At that stage there were 3 or 4 ambulance/police cars on the scene with police tape up as the police station is about 30m away. The firemen in the truck I followed put up the dreaded blue tarp at that point but from what I could see thankfully he is alive - I hope his legs are ok.

The incident happened a metre or so right of the storm water grate here http://goo.gl/maps/2dNHo and the truck was a very long multiwheeled flatbed which was carrying no cargo. I couldn't help but think, on that tight left turn off Tower Bridge Road a flatbed of that length would probably go over the footpath mid way through the turn unless he took a very wide trajectory into the other lane exiting west side of Queen Elizabeth St on to northbound Tower Bridge road.

Hope he comes out of it OK. Stay behind trucks, buses etc guys.

I've just heard that the cyclist is okay but will be losing a leg :-(

Rode past this yesterday evening, but didn't want to think the worst. Wishing the cyclist all the best for a strong recovery.

Oh God, not that area again. I think of all areas in London, it's been consistently the worst spot for very serious collisions over the last few years. Terrible news about the rider's injuries.

I've just heard that the cyclist is okay but will be losing a leg :-(
Horrible :(

Bright thoughts/

I've just heard that the cyclist is okay but will be losing a leg :-(

Christ, bleak.

Glad they survived but an unthinkable loss nonetheless :(

I always suggest new trainees to avoid Tower Bridge for London bridge instead. That Queen Elizabeth turn is incredibly sharp. If you go eastbound from Tooley St to QE St there are no lights governing your crossing whilst the opposite direction do, with space for two to cross the halfway point on Tower Bridge. More than two going in either direction in any order can be a total mess.

Hope the rider is ok.

http://www.lfgss.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72864&stc=1&d=1378297571

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I came through here this morning. The investigators' chalk marks show the lorry began turn from right hand lane, as you would expect for a lorry of this size. That would leave a gap of at least 2 metres, many cyclists would not expect a lorry to turn across them from that far out.