Cyclist killed in crash was kindest person - family

Cheistha Kochhar believed it was more important to be the "kindest person in the room" than the smartest, her family says

A family has paid tribute to a woman who died in a road collision in central London as "the kindest person in the room".

Cheistha Kochhar, 33, died following a collision with a refuse lorry while cycling in Clerkenwell Road, near the junction with Farringdon Road, on 19 March.

The Indian national was a PhD scholar at the London School of Economics (LSE), her family said in a statement.

No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing, the Metropolitan Police said.

'Always had a hug'

“Cheistha’s deep intelligence and passions were belied by her sprightly demeanour and the consummate ease with which she eased people out of their shells to make friends with her," the family said.

"She always had a hug to spare for anyone and she lived her life with the principle that it was more important to be the kindest person in the room, than to be the smartest person in the room."

Ms Kochar was born in Bareilly, in northern India, and worked on a range of roles including in business startups and with various government bodies in her home country.

“In spite of her experience as a practitioner and an executive, she had the heart of an academician, having worked and collaborated with Nobel laureates," her family said, which is what brought her to the LSE.

They said Ms Kochar wanted to learn from her work in London to help "tackle the grand challenges that countries from the global south face" and "bring all her expertise back to India to change lives".

The Met Police said the driver of the lorry was helping with their inquiries and requested anyone with information about the collision, or witnesses, to get in touch.