Woman cyclist in hospital after being 'crushed' by lorry at notorious Ludgate Circus

 
Crumpled: the bike under the wheels of the lorry at Ludgate Circus (Picture: Twitter/@Jamesdoleman)
Robin de Peyer20 October 2014

A woman cyclist was tonight fighting for her life in hospital after being hit by a lorry at a notorious junction in the City.

The rider, believed to be in her 20s, was found in cardiac arrest by medics at the scene of the crash at Ludgate Circus on Friday morning.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We were called at 11.30 to reports of a collision involving a lorry and a cyclist.

"A woman believed to be in her 20s was in cardiac arrest at the scene, and extensive efforts were made to resuscitate her. She was taken by ambulance to the Royal London Hospital as a priority."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Police seal of bottom of Ludgate Hill after accident between lorry and cyclist <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&amp;id=222025&amp;p=http://t.co/8pi56sD8Vs" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-159846-http://t.co/8pi56sD8Vs" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/8pi56sD8Vs</a>— James Doleman (@jamesdoleman) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/jamesdoleman/status/523084672247795712" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-159846-https://twitter.com/jamesdoleman/status/523084672247795712" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 17, 2014</a>

Witnesses said the rider was "crushed" under a large tipper truck at the junction, where 32-year-old Spaniard Victor Manuel Ben Rodriguez died after being hit by a lorry on the way to a job interview earlier this year.

Pictures from the scene showed the crumpled bike under the wheels of a large truck, which appears to have been turning left onto Ludgate Hill from Farringdon Street.

Witness Eve NyKamp, who was driving through traffic from Warwick, said: "We were stuck in traffic and the accident looked to have just happened.

"The lady was under the truck with her head and upper body visible and I'm sorry to say it looked like her leg was crushed under the wheel but it may just have been hidden behind it."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Wondered what this was at Ludgate Circus. Sad to learn it's because of a cyclist being seriously injured. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&amp;id=222025&amp;p=http://t.co/KwRIht1D2t" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-159846-http://t.co/KwRIht1D2t" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/KwRIht1D2t</a>— Amanda Eva (@filmvsbook) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/filmvsbook/status/523089328453718016" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-159846-https://twitter.com/filmvsbook/status/523089328453718016" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 17, 2014</a>

The London Cycling Campaign posted on Facebook: "We're saddened to hear of a woman involved in a serious collision with an HGV at Ludgate Circus. We hope for the best for the victim and our thoughts are with her and her family."

After this morning's collision a Twitter user posted: "Yet another collision at Ludgate Hill between a lorry and a cyclist. When will something be done about that junction? It's a death trap."

Another tweeted to Mayor Boris Johnson: "Second bike v lorry accident at Ludgate circus in 6 months; PLEASE sort out that junction."

A police spokesman said roads remained closed in the area for several hours after the crash and there have been no arrests.

The junction is on the route of a proposed north-south cycle highway between Elephant and Castle and King's Cross. The planned route has overwhelming support from Londoners, a poll for the Standard revealed today.

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