City worker and British Airways executive killed on same road in a week in London's first two cycling fatalities of 2018

The first two cyclists killed in London this year were hit by lorries on same road 
Victims: Oliver Speke and Edgaras Cepura (right) died this year

A city worker and a British Airways executive were both killed on the same road within a week in London’s first two cycling fatalities of 2018.

Edgaras Cepura, a married 37-year-old software engineer, died last Friday after colliding with a lorry on the A206 by the Woolwich Road roundabout on his morning commute.

Oliver Speke, 46, who worked at Heathrow for 29 years, also collided with a lorry, one mile west, outside the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich on the A206 Romney Road. He died in hospital two days later on Friday, May 11.

The deaths have led to renewed calls for the proposed Cycle Superhighway 4 from Tower Bridge to be extended along the A206 to Woolwich. The stretch of road, from the Cutty Sark to the Blackwall Tunnel flyover, was part of initial CS4 plans but was dropped from the route, which is out for consultation.

Mr Cepura, who lived half a mile from the crash scene, regularly posted his cycling times to work at Investoo Group on social media. He moved to London from Lithuania and was married to Jorgita Cepurae, an office manager.

A map of Woolwich Road and where the collisions happened 

A spokeswoman from Investoo Group said: “He was liked and admired by everyone who knew him, not only because of his passion and knowledge as a developer, but also his positive attitude and contagious energy.”

Mr Cepura raised thousands of pounds for Cancer Research on a charity ride from London to Paris.

Neighbour Alison Gray, 45, said: “He was a nice, respectful neighbour and always polite to my kids. He was always cycling to work with the full protective gear on. I can’t believe he’s gone.” Tim Rottgers said: “He enjoyed cycling very much and had several bicycles. He used to cycle to work. It would be quite a distance, but he would be faster than the train sometimes.”

Adrianna Skrzypiec was killed in 2009

Mr Speke, who lived in Camberley with wife Lorraine, was also an enthusiastic cyclist. He joined British Airways as an apprentice in 1989 and was a technician for Boeing before becoming a product manager. His cousin Nicola Speke said: “We grew up together. It’s just terrible what’s happened.”

A student saw Mr Speke collide with the lorry before striking the side of the bus she was on. She said: “He hit the truck and then slammed into my window. I saw his face for half a second before he dropped down. It was so bad.”

In 2009, cyclist Adrianna Skrzypiec, 31, was killed in a crash at the same spot as Mr Cepura.

Campaign group Stop Killing Cyclists will now stage a “die in” at Woolwich town hall on June 7. Police said both drivers stopped at the scene.

A Greenwich council spokesman said it was lobbying Transport for London to “ensure delivery of the full CS4 route to Woolwich as swiftly as possible”.

Nigel Hardy, head of programme sponsorship for surface transport at TfL, said it will work closely with the council “on our plans for a new cycle route between Greenwich and Woolwich.” Last year, 11 cyclists died on London streets.

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