Driver held over Olympic bus crash

00:05, Aug 2 2012

The driver of an official Olympic bus has been arrested after a cyclist was knocked down and killed, sources said. The victim, 28, died after being hit by a bus ferrying journalists between Olympic venues. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said a man aged in his mid sixties was arrested at the scene, just outside the Olympic Park in Stratford, at 9.28pm on Wednesday on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The victim was struck by the double-decker just outside the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, just after 7.30pm. He was not believed to be an athlete. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the man was pronounced dead at the scene in Ruckholt Road, at the junction with the A12. The collision is being investigated by the Met's traffic investigation unit. The driver is currently in custody at an east London police station. Story continues ADVERTISEMENT A London 2012 spokesman said: "We can confirm that a cyclist tragically died as a result of a collision with a bus carrying media from the Olympic Park this evening. The police are investigating the accident and our thoughts are with the cyclist's family." In the wake of the fatal incident, Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Bradley Wiggins was asked for his views on the safety of London's roads for cyclists. He said: "It's dangerous and London is a busy city and a lot of traffic. I think we have to help ourselves sometimes. "I haven't lived in London for 10 to 15 years now and it's got a lot busier since I was riding a bike as a kid round here, and I got knocked off several times. But I think things are improving to a degree - there are organisations out there who are attempting to make the roads safer for both parties. "But at the end of the day we've all got to co-exist on the roads. Cyclists are not ever going to go away as much as drivers moan, and as much as cyclists maybe moan about certain drivers they are never going to go away, so there's got to be a bit of give and take." Wiggins said he would like to see the introduction of a law making it compulsory to wear cycling helmets.

Top  Back