CYCLISTS SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM A BUSY SECTION OF

CYCLISTS SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM A BUSY SECTION OF ROAD NEAR

THE TOWER OF LONDON WHICH IS ‘NO PLACE FOR THEM’, A CORONER WARNED IN

A CASE INVOLVING A MAIDSTONE LORRY DRIVER.

CORONER DR DAVID VERNON FOSTER HANDED LONDON’S CYCLISTS THE
WARNG AT SOUTHWARK CORONERS COURT TODAY (WEDS).

HE WAS
COMMENTING ON THE CASE OF A 31 YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO WAS OVERTAKEN
BY AN ARTICULATED TANKER LORRY, THEN CRUSHED UNDER ITS BACK
WHEELS AS IT TURNED LEFT ACROSS HER.

CYCLISTS SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM TOWER HILL, E.

1, WHERE

THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED, THE CORONER SAID.

‘THE TRAGIC TRUTH IS THAT BICYCLES HAVE NO PLACE IN THIS
ROAD.

IT IS FAR TOO DANGEROUS FOR BICYCLES TO BE PRESENT IN THIS
VOLUME OF TRAFFIC.

‘THE LORRY WAS BOUND TO COME IN CLOSER TO THE KERB WHEN IT
TURNED LEFT, UNLESS IT WAS TO GO RIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE
ROAD FIRST.

‘UNLESS THE LORRY HAD ADOPTED A POSITION VERY MUCH TO ITS
OFFSIDE, THE ACCIDENT IS INEVITABLE WHEN IT IS GOING ROUND A LEFT
HAND CORNER.

‘LORRY DRIVERS HAVE TO HAVE EYES EVERYWHERE,’ HE ADDED.

HE RECORDED A VERDICT OF MISADVENTURE ON MRS MARIANNE
RICHARDSON OF HESPERUS CRESCENT, POPLAR, LONDON, WHO DIED IN
GUY’S HOSPITAL ON FEBRUARY 6 FROM BRONCHO-PNEUMONIA FOLLOWING
CRUSHING INJURIES TO THE PELVIS.

LORRY DRIVER ALFRED CAEN (COR) OF HEATHER DRIVE, MAIDSTONE,
ADMITTED THAT THE FIRST HE KNEW OF THE ACCIDENT WAS WHEN
OTHER DRIVERS HOOTED AT HIM TO STOP.

‘I GOT ONTO THE CROWN OF THE ROAD, AND LOOKED IN MY NEARSIDE
MIRROR TO MAKE SURE THAT NO CARS WERE COMING UP ON THE INSIDE,’
HE SAID.

‘I DID NOT SEE THE CYCLIST.

‘TRUCK DRIVERS ARE VERY AWARE OF CYCLISTS AND MOTOR
CYCLISTS,’ HE ADDED.

‘WE DO LOOK OUT FOR THEM.

‘
THE CORONER MADE NO RECCOMENDATION FOR A CYCLE-ONLY LANE –
WHICH ALSO PROTECTS CYCLISTS FROM HEAVY TRAFFIC.

END.