CCTV shown of Philippine De Gerin-Ricard Boris bike death

  • Published

The family of the first person to be killed on a so-called "Boris bike" has been shown "graphic" CCTV of the accident at the inquest into her death.

French student Philippine De Gerin-Ricard, 20, was killed on a cycling superhighway in east London.

Her family watched the moment she was knocked off her wheels by a lorry as she was cycling home through Aldgate in July.

Truck driver Richard James said he was "very aware of cyclists".

Coroner Mary Hassell, sitting at east London's Poplar Coroner's Court, warned the images were "very very graphic" showing "Philippine coming off her bike and I imagine it would be very distressing for her family".

'Rattling noise'

Miss De Gerin-Ricard was cycling along one of the London mayor's flagship commuter cycle routes, though the section she was in provides no segregated space for cycling, the inquest heard.

Mr James, an HGV driver for about 22 years, told the inquest he had been travelling at around 10-12mph in slow-moving traffic at about 19:00 BST.

He said the first he knew of the crash was the sound of a "tinkling or rattling noise which I thought was my mirrors catching the scaffolding".

"Then I could see a young lady tumbling backwards off her bike," he added. "Then I stopped."

His lorry was positioned "squarely" in the lane, the inquest heard.

Within minutes, an ambulance was at the scene and and passers-by and a bus driver had stopped to try to help.

Miss De Gerin-Ricard, who had a collapsed left lung, was rushed to the nearby Royal London Hospital but died of multiple injuries.

Miss De Gerin-Ricard's mother, Anne Boudet du Mochet, pleaded for road safety for cyclists in London to be tackled "now and quickly".

Through an interpreter, she told the court: "The problem with cycle lanes here in London is not a new problem.

"What needs to be discussed is the provisions of lanes for cyclists."

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