2010-03-18 - Rider Down, Gracechurch Street

Jack Thurston reports seeing a bike under the wheels of an artic on Gracechurch Street. The rider is on a stretcher, and the police have cordoned the road off.

Christ, hope it's not a bad one. I always really hope that. Fingers crossed that the stretcher is a bringer of good news.

Oh shit. Really hope the rider is ok

please let them be safe and recover quickly

fuck, fingers crossed.

Hope everything things alright. Wishing a quick recovery

Why is it always bloody HGVs!

fingers crossed

yeah, just walked past. horrible

bike not looking so good. ambulance had already gone

christ i really hope s/he is ok

really weird too. the HGV had halted complteley straight in the road. no left turn or anything

how do these things keep happening

According to a security guard it was a female rider. He said it was a serious leg injury. Fingers crossed she's ok

sad news.. lets hope for the best.

crossing fingers... :-/

Alarming amount of incidents recently. A few fatalities and other accidents all on roads I ride regularly or nearby to work or home. Has certainly made me slow down a bit and take more care of late.

I passed this on the way home, area was cordoned off and po-po we're photographing and taking measurements at the scene... The bike was on the pavement and looked really mangled up... Fucking massive lorry, hope the rider's OK... Be careful out there, peeps... I got buzzed by big trucks so many times along The Highway this arvo, pretty scary...

Yeah. It is fucking scary. Especially when a big lorry pulls up next to you at the lights and the wheels are where your head is. I try not to think about it. I hope the rider is ok

It really gave me a shudder seeing this on my way past, I really hope she's ok.

I went past this last night on a bus, saw the lorry in the road and no other vehicle so assumed it was a cyclist, sad to see I was right. My thoughts go out to the rider.

I went past this last night on a bus

Last night? It happened sometime before 1150 today. What did you see?

I could be wrong but I assume it was the same thing. Im not 100% on which street I was on but it was right in that area. It was about 4am I think when I went past, saw a tipper type lorry with its lights on in the road and police tape across the road. Couldn't see another car for it to collide to or anything, hence me thinking it was a cyclist.
This quote is what makes me think it was the same incident:

really weird too. the HGV had halted complteley straight in the road. no left turn or anything

Nah, this is a long white articulated thing...

I was in a steamy bus a good 50 meters away after a long night of drinking, a lorry is a lorry. It was white though.

I was in a steamy bus a good 50 meters away after a long night of drinking, a lorry is a lorry. It was white though.

Sumo, must have been a different incident from what you saw last night.

What I rode past at 11.40 this morning was a bright red artic, with a bike crushed underneath and the rider on a stretcher receiving medical attention on the inside (between lorry and the kerb). Was not at a corner, though possible that the lorry dragged the rider/bicycle some distance.

Area was full of police, ambulance. Incident must have happened at least 20/30 minutes previously, maybe more, for that kind of police/medical presence to arrive.

Fingers crossed.

I passed this on the way home, area was cordoned off and po-po we're photographing and taking measurements at the scene....

Never a good sign. Here's hoping the rider pulls through.

It's certainly not been a good start to the year.

These incidents are alarming, but threads like this show they're being noticed. That's good. The worst thing for the effort of 'ending the culture of complacency' (Transport Select Committee) is indifference. Awareness-raising itself is not enough, and most casualty rates are getting better, but there's still a long way to go.

Hope the rider pulls through. It sounds as if it could be a very nasty leg injury.

Yeah. It is fucking scary. Especially when a big lorry pulls up next to you at the lights and the wheels are where your head is. I try not to think about it. I hope the rider is ok

This is the important bit in my eyes. Wheels have a diameter as high as the cyclist.

Increase wheels with reduced radius for urban logistics. Lower cab.

Bring 'em down to street level. Massive change I know.

A bit like this but even smaller radius tyres and lower cab...

(Doesn't need to be as funky either)