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Family of dead cyclist release hospital photo as warning to drivers

Michael Mason died last Friday, three weeks after incident involving Nissan 4x4 on London's Regents St, police renew appeal...

The family of a cyclist who died last Friday, three weeks after being hit by a car on London’s Regent Street, have issued a picture of taken of him in hospital as a warning to motorists to take care when sharing the road with bike riders.

Retired teacher Michael Mason died at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, where he had been taken after he was hit by a Nissan 4x4 on Regent Street, just north of Oxford Circus, on 25 February, reports the London Evening Standard.

Mr Mason sustained broken ribs, a fractured skull and severe brain injuries in the incident and was placed in a coma in the hospital. His life support machine was turned off last Friday after he returned to a “permanent vegetative state.”

The Standard says that four days earlier, on Monday 10 March, his family – including his ex-wife and two daughters, and his three sisters – had been at his bedside at St Mary’s, where they sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to him to mark his 70th birthday.

The family has now released the above picture of Mr Mason to serve as “an illustration of what can happen to cyclists on London’s roads”.

His daughter, Anna Tatton-Brown, said: “Dad was always cycling. He has been riding in London ever since he moved here in the 70s, so if this can happen to someone like him who had so much road sense, it can happen to anyone.

“He was very experienced and had cycled all across London. My dad always kept very fit and was surgically welded to his bike ever since he was a teenager, which is why it came as such a shock.

“We are heartbroken. He was one of life’s genuinely nice and funny people. He was the best dad in the world and my best friend. I think I have spoken to him every day for the past 33 years.

“He had a wicked sense of humour and loved art and photography. We’ve been inundated with messages from people.”

Ms Tatton-Brown said motorists needed to be aware of the danger that cyclists can face.

“One of the last conversations he had with me was that he was worried about how negligent some drivers can be in London and that cyclists need more room,” she said.

“As a family we don’t know what happened, but something needs to be done to improve road safety.”

Police questioned the female driver of the Nissan following the incident but no arrest was made.

Last week police issued a fresh appeal for information, with Detective Sergeant Jeff Edwards saying: "I am grateful to a number of people who stopped at the scene to assist the casualty that night.

"This stretch of road was fairly busy with commuters, and I would urge anyone who may have seen any of the parties in the moments leading up to the collision, or the collision itself, to contact police.

"I also wish to trace any person who may have moved or had any contact with the pedal cycle."

Anyone who has information is requested to call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at Hampton Traffic Garage on 020 8941 9011, or the charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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Emma | 10 years ago
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Mr Mason was an amazing man who really helped loads of people at GCH. I feel so sorry for his family at this time. He will definitely be missed. RIP Mr Mason

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arfa | 10 years ago
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My thoughts are with his family during what can only be an utter nightmare.
I have to applaud their courage in releasing such a distressing photo because it is past time that some of the utter moons rushing around in their metal cans on the road realise the horror that their impatience and stupidity can lead to.

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Airzound | 10 years ago
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Awful. Hopefully the collision that killed him will have been captured on CCTV somewhere.
RIP.

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KiwiMike | 10 years ago
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Get the two-ton metal boxes moving at 30MPH away from the soft breakable people. Everything else - helmets, hi-viz, door-mirror stickers, retina-scorching LEDs, YouTube helmetcam vids - is just a waste_of_time.

The Dutch have done it.

They must have a higher grasp of physics/building shit/value of human life than us Brits.

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disco | 10 years ago
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Never met Mr. Mason, but sounds like a lovely man to have known, let alone cycle with. I use Regent St. often, and hope someone has the information needed. RIP Michael, and my heartfelt condolences to the family.

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notfastenough | 10 years ago
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That is tragic. "Permanent vegetative state" - horrific.

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