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The crossing in Upper Street where a pensioner was killed on Tuesday |
PROBE INTO SHOCK DEATH AT CROSSING
Call comes as pensioner is killed in Upper Street, Angel
ROAD safety campaigners called for an investigation this week after a shopper died under the wheels of a lorry – yards away from one of the most dangerous crossings in London.
The woman, aged about 60, was carrying bags of shopping when she stepped out on a pedestrian crossing in Upper Street, Angel, opposite the Mall, at midday on Tuesday. She was hit by a north-bound 16-tonne lorry and ended up trapped under its front wheels.
Paramedics performed emergency treatment in the street before rushing the woman to the Royal London Hospital, where she died three and a half hours later at 3.28pm.
The driver of the lorry was interviewed but not arrested.
An inquest will be opened today (Friday) at St Pancras Coroner’s Court.
The Police Collision Investigation Unit at Euston Traffic Garage is carrying out an investigation.
George Durack, chairman of the Islington Pensioners’ Forum, whose offices are nearby, said he worried about the safety of the crossing.
He said: “This is a terrible accident and we need to know what happened. The Angel is a very crowded shopping area and people need to be able to get across the road safely.”
Lib Dem campaigner Bridget Fox launched a successful battle to get a nearby crossing, outside the Angel Tube station, moved to the other side of Liverpool Road after it was named one of the most dangerous in the capital. named one of the most dangerous in the capital.
She added: “The police will carry out their own investigation. Then Transport for London [TfL] must undertake an examination of this crossing to see if there are any weaknesses and what improvements can be made.”
Describing the accident, Big Issue seller Calvin Driver said: “I had my headphones on and I saw lots of people looking round so I turned and saw the aftermath of the accident.
“People were looking at the lights. There was an old woman who had been hit by a lorry. She was pushing one of those shopping trolleys.
“Both sides of the road were closed for over an hour and the north side wasn’t opened up till 3pm.”
A tarpaulin tent was erected where medics worked on the woman.
Mr Driver added: “I’ve seen over 20 accidents at that crossing. Sometimes people take their lives into their own hands and sometimes it’s the motorists’ fault. The green man signal doesn’t stay on for long. If the lights change then you’re stuck in the middle of a really small island.”
Met Police investigating officer Neil Davies said: “It is not yet clear what colour the lights were towards the pedestrians or vehicles.”
Islington Council, TfL and the police will conduct a site visit to the crossing next week.
A spokeswoman for TfL, which is responsible for the road, said: “The signalised junction at Upper Street and Islington High Street was installed in September 2000 and meets all Department for Transport requirements for safe pedestrian crossing times.
“In the three years ending July 2008 there has been only one pedestrian injured in the vicinity of this crossing and they had been crossing the road in moving traffic and away from the safe pedestrian crossing area provided.’’
Police are appealing for witnesses 0207 388 6806. |
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Your comments:
I crossed that crossing for the first time the day before this lady was killed. It is not a nice crossing, there is a only enough space for a single line of about 4 persons so getting caught in the middle made me feel really uneasy. By the time I crossed I thought that that not a place I was going to cross again. The problem is that other crossing towards Angel station is just as bad. I think they should look at the crossing situation as everyday I see people take their lives in their hands just to get their lunch. Could they not move it to after the crossing where there would only be two roads to worry about and not have to care about the road that turns past Angel.
S. Vader
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