Cyclist killed in collision involving a lorry on London’s Holborn gyratory – the eighth since 2008

A cyclist was killed this morning in a collision involving a HGV at a junction on London’s “infamously hostile” Holborn gyratory, where seven other people have been killed riding bikes since 2008, all in crashes involving large vehicles.

The crash happened shortly after 10am this morning at the junction of High Holborn and Procter Street, near the Tube station entrance. Despite the best efforts of doctors and paramedics, the cyclist – a woman in her 30s – was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have been made.

Looks like another serious incident at #holborn. pic.twitter.com/HAZckvNcuO

— Elisabeth Anderson 🚲🐺 (@velobetty) March 1, 2022

The junction forms part of the notorious Holborn gyratory, where safety measures announced in late 2019 by Camden Council were put on hold after the Transport for London (TfL) Liveable Neighbourhoods programme was frozen.

> Camden Council announces permanent safety changes to protect cyclists at Holborn “killer junction” 

Eight people have now been killed riding their bikes since 2008 at or very close to the scene of this morning’s fatal collision. In 2013, Alan Neve was fatally struck by a lorry only yards away from today’s crash.

In August 2018 Dr Peter Fisher, the Queen’s homeopathic physician for 15 years, was killed in a crash involving a lorry just outside the Underground station while commuting to work.

Children’s doctor Marta Krawiec was killed in August 2021 while cycling at the junction of Southampton Row and Theobald’s Road, a few hundred yards north of today's crash, resulting in protests led by activist groups Stop Killing Cyclists and London Cycling Campaign calling for immediate safety changes to Holborn’s dangerous junctions.

“Immediate” safety measures were introduced by the council in September in response to Dr Krawiec’s death, which aimed to provide more space for people on bikes. A month later, 7,500 people signed a petition urging London Mayor Sadiq Khan to “take rapid action on dangerous junctions” in the city. 

Work began in January on a permanent overhaul of the road layout, including new segregated cycle lanes, bike boxes, bus, taxi and cycle lane improvements and a redesigned traffic light system for cyclists.

> Hundreds protest outside Camden Council’s offices in call for safer streets following latest cyclist death in Holborn 

“We were called at 10:06am today to reports of a road traffic collision involving a cyclist outside Holborn Underground station,” a London Ambulance Service spokesperson said.

“We sent a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer to the scene. We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance. The first of our medics arrived in under five minutes.

“Sadly, a person died at the scene.”

The Met police also confirmed that the incident happened close to the tube station, which was closed due to the ongoing tube strike, and that inquiries are continuing.

London Cycling Campaign, which helped stage the protests which took place just six months ago in the wake of Dr Krawiec’s death, announced earlier today that a vigil will be held in Holborn this Friday at 6pm.

Tragic news today. 8th cycling fatality at Holborn junctions since 2008, just 6 months after LCC protest there following Dr Marta Krawiec's death. Police confirm fatal HGV collision with cyclist 10am.
LCC vigil Friday, 4 March, 6pm. Further details ASAP.https://t.co/tgMjmnqkeo pic.twitter.com/LinJEQf6lS

— London Cycling Campaign (@London_Cycling) March 1, 2022