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This is the ghost white bike memorial to Eilidh Cairns who was not as lucky and was killed just ten years ago
Eilidh died on the 5th February 2009 after being hit from behind by a fully laden tipper truck driven by Mr Joao Lopes, and dragged and crushed by its wheels.
She had left her home at Kingswear Road, near Hampstead Heath, and cycled her usual 10mile route to Chiswick. She had been cycling this route for over 2 years, and was a fit and experienced cyclist, well aware of the dangers of HGVs. Eilidh was struck at 8:56am, just as she approached a pedestrian crossing on a two-lane one-way road in Notting Hill Gate. She lay pinned by the wheels, fully conscious, and asking passers by to ‘please help me, please help me’. Low cloud on the day prevented the helicopter dispatch, and Eilidh was eventually taken by ambulance to the Royal London Hospital, where, despite the best endeavours of a team of trauma specialists, she died at 10.48am.
If that was not horrible enough - worse was to follow ...
The only charges driver Lopes ever faced in connection with Eilidh’s death related to driving with uncorrected defective vision. The police tested his eyes three months after the crash, and only at the request of Eilidh’s family. He received three points on his license, and a £200 fine.
Sixteen months later, Lopes ran over Nora Gutmann, a 93 year old fit and active woman on a zebra crossing at Marylebone. Lopes was not wearing his glasses at the time. Tampering of his tachograph, the device which records the speed, distance and hours driven, had also taken place. Only at this point did the police re-open the investigation into the death of Eilidh. Lopes was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment, and disqualified from driving for 6 years, for the death of Nora. There was still no charge in relation to the death of Eilidh.
Taken from: http://eilidhcairns.com
HOW TO CRASH YOUR BIKE WITH DIGNITY
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