Cyclist dies after hitting seven year old pothole

A cyclist and father of three has died after crashing when he reportedly hit a pothole, which was apparently reported to the council several times since 2009.

Ralph Brazier, a 52-year-old tech entrepreneur, was cycling with Twickenham Cycling Club (TCC) riders on Tuesday when he is believed to have hit the three inch deep pothole around a drain, at the junction of Weybridge Road and Weystone Road, in Surrey. The South East Coast Ambulance Service were called to the scene at just before 8pm, and Mr Brazier later died at St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey.

The Evening Standard says several residents near the accident had spoken to council chiefs about the pothole, which was marked with red paint for repair, while a CTC report suggests the pothole was reported via its website as long ago as 2009. Within 24 hours of Mr Brazier’s death the hole was filled in. Surrey Police and the Health and Safety Executive have launched an investigation into the crash. 

Triathlete killed after hitting pothole – one of two cyclists killed near Rugby in a week

BikeBiz Editor, Carlton Reid, called the collision “preventable” and said the government’s £15bn roads fund should be spent on fixing existing roads.

This is preventable: https://t.co/nlCTdluGtM Shameful that Gov’t is wasting £15bn on new roads – the current roads should be fixed first.

— Carlton Reid (@carltonreid) March 3, 2016

The collision comes just weeks after a cyclist was killed after hitting a pothole in Rugby.

One local resident, who lives opposite the collision scene, told the Standard the hole kept being filled only to reappear again after a frost.

CTC Fill that hole pothole report

Tributes, and a TCC jersey have been left at the scene for Brazier, who was described as well-loved, and who raised thousands of pounds for charity over the years.

David Marsden, 46, who was with Mr Brazier on a recent trip to Majorca, told the Standard: “Everybody is extremely upset and wants to understand what has happened and why. 

“He was a well-loved friend of the club, an enthusiastic cyclist and he will be deeply missed. He was such a lovely man. 

“He was a strong, safe and competent cyclist. He was an inspiration to the younger guys of what they would love to be like when they got into their fifties."

A relative told the Standard Mr Brazier had no known medical condition.

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesperson said following the collision: "A man had come off his bicycle - possibly due to a medical event - and gone into cardiac arrest.

"Despite advanced life support being administered by the ambulance crews, the man was later declared deceased."

A spokesman for Surrey County Council, the highways authority for the road, said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends at this difficult time.

"It’s important we wait for the conclusion of an investigation which will explore what happened."

The  Standard article carries a photo of the pothole.