A lorry driver who ran over a cyclist after swerving into his lane “got away with it”, the victim’s brother told an inquest.
Tauqir Butt questioned Frank Lunnon’s insistence at Southwark coroner’s court that he had indicated before veering left into his brother’s lane on Vauxhall Cross gyratory on June 2, 2014.
Tafsir Butt, 52, a security guard who had been riding home after a night shift at a firm in Cannon Street, was pronounced dead at the scene in Parry Street before 7.30am, after suffering head, chest and pelvic injuries.
An off-duty Army doctor attempted resuscitation before paramedics and an Air Ambulance doctor arrived, but Mr Butt had gone into cardiac arrest. He was the sixth of 12 London cyclists to be killed in 2014.
CCTV from the lorry did not show whether or not the driver had indicated and there was no eye-witness evidence. Police decided there was insufficient evidence to bring a prosecution.
At the inquest yesterday, Tauqir Butt said: “I’m interested in the indicator. There was CCTV — did he indicate or not? I have lost my brother at the end of the day. He is not going to come back. Really, he [Mr Lunnon] has got away with nothing.”
His sister Shagufta said: “It’s sad that it didn’t get to court.”
The inquest heard that Mr Butt, a divorcee living in Battersea, was struck from behind by the extra-large tipper truck in an unlit tunnel. Mr Lunnon had overtaken Mr Butt but the cyclist moved in front as the lorry slowed to 6mph in traffic. Police found Mr Butt would have been in the driver’s mirrors for 2.6 seconds but had ridden into a blind spot. Mr Lunnon, 62, who has since retired as a lorry driver, broke down as he apologised in court. He insisted he had indicated, saying it was something he did “automatically”.
Assistant coroner Philip Barlow gave a verdict of accidental death. He said: “On the balance of probability, the lorry was indicating left when changing lane.”
Vauxhall Cross now has a segregated cycle superhighway.
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