Woman badly injured by cyclist at same spot in London where pensioner was killed
A dog walker suffered severe facial injuries and was knocked unconscious after she was hit by a “speeding” cyclist overtaking a car at the same spot in Regent’s Park where a pensioner had a fatal collision.
Paolo Dos Santos was struck in the Outer Circle of the north London park after a male cyclist apparently strayed into the wrong side of the road as he “overtook a car”.
Ms Dos Santos was entering the park to walk her dog on May 1 – her 52nd birthday – shortly after 7.30am when the collision took place as she crossed towards a pedestrian island.
She suffered multiple skull fractures to her eye socket, jawbone and cheekbone as well as musculoskeletal injuries after apparently being hit by a bike travelling in the wrong direction.
‘What witnesses saw changed my mind’
“I was going to cross the road near Hanover Terrace. But the only thing I remember next was waking up in the ambulance,” the mother of three told The Telegraph.
“Initially, I didn’t want to pursue any criminal case; after all accidents do happen and I’m certainly not anti-bike. But what changed my mind was what the police told me witnesses saw.”
Ms Dos Santos said that she was impressed that the cyclist did not flee the scene after the collision.
Speaking from her home in Marylebone, Ms Dos Santos, who is from France but Portuguese and has lived in London since 2011, said: “The male cyclist was seen coming up behind a car which was said to be observing the 20mph speed limit.
”Apparently, the cyclist didn’t slow down but overtook the car by going around the pedestrian island on the wrong side of the road where I was crossing.
“It means he was very likely speeding and was on the wrong side of the pedestrian island.
“I believe I had looked for oncoming traffic coming from the right. I would not have been expecting a bike coming from the left against the flow of traffic.
“The Metropolitan Police have told me I have a very good case.”
The collision happened the day before an inquest heard how Hilda Griffiths, 81, suffered fatal injuries after being involved in a collision with a cyclist riding in an aerodynamic “pace line” race formation speed at the exact same location.
The court heard despite Brian Fitzgerald admitting travelling at up to 29mph in a 20mph zone he could not be prosecuted because speed limits do not apply to pedal bikes.
Mrs Griffiths died 59 days after receiving severe head injuries.
Ms Dos Santos said she read about Mrs Griffiths’ death and was “deeply upset” that two serious collisions had taken place at the same spot.
“I am lucky to be alive. I was apparently unconscious for about 20 minutes, it was a very violent collision,” she added, explaining how the pedestrian island is used by families with toddlers crossing to the Hanover Gate Children’s Playground in the park.
“Why has nothing been done to make that crossing safer for pedestrians? It needs speed bumps or a zebra crossing,” Ms Dos Santos said.
“The cyclists who race around the park need to know that that perimeter road is not a velodrome and is used by pedestrians of all ages.”
Ms Dos Santos is waiting to see whether the Metropolitan Police will charge the cyclist.
‘Attitudes need to change among cyclists’
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called at 7.40am on Wednesday May 1 to reports of a road traffic incident outside Hanover Terrace, NW1.
“We sent an ambulance crew and treated a woman at the scene before taking her to a London Major Trauma centre.”
Gerard Griffiths, the son of Hilda Griffiths, said: “I believe attitudes need to change among cyclists who use Regent’s Park for training.”
He added that since his mother’s death he had conducted his own research about how the park is used by cycling clubs.
“Many group together and travel at excessive speeds,” he continued.
“But it takes time to consider pedestrians, who are number one in the hierarchy of road users and should not be looked upon as an inconvenience that gets in the way of their pursuit of timed laps.”
He added: “Hearing of a similar case to my mother’s of a lady being mowed down at exactly the same location and suffering from serious head injuries on the day before my mother’s inquest sends shivers down my spine and proves that my mother’s case is not an isolated incident.
“And there is a high risk of another fatality happening again due to the cycling culture that puts laps before life.”
