A ghost bike for Deep Lee (Min Joo Lee) at King's Cross

Deep Lee (Min Joo Lee), a 24 year old female fashion student at Central St Martin's College, was knocked from her bicycle in a collision with a heavy goods vehicle at the junction with Euston Road, York Way and Pentonville Road on the 3rd of October 2011.  She was the fourth cyclist to die on these roads in five years, and the 13th cyclist to die in London so far this year.

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I could write and tell you how we struggled to hear the gentle words of Deep's friends over the constant roar of traffic.  I could write and tell you how a bus, jumping the red light, got stuck in the junction forcing hundreds of pedestrians to pass around it and walk in to the road itself as traffic thundered past where we stood to remember. 

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I could write and tell you about the continual stream of cement mixers, one after another, which raced to York Way and how one, so incensed by the traffic blew his horn and even climbed from his cab in to the road to shout about what a rush he was in.

I could write and tell you how, in the short time we stood at this terrible junction, a Chelsea pensioner - finely regaled and bent double with age - had to be escorted across the road as he was not able to cross in the all too short 'Green Man' phase safely.

But I won't.  Seeing the ghost bike being installed, the distress of Deep's friends and loved ones, and the concern and frustration of local residents, other cyclists and passers-by really brought home to me what happens when "another statistic" is added to the all too long list of fatalities on London's roads.

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May you rest in peace, Deep Lee.  May all those passing through here go safely, and pause to think of you a while as they do so.

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4 comments:

GreenComotion said...

That's a terrible thing! Sorry to hear about the cyclist's loss.

Paz :)

ibikelondon said...

Thanks Chandra, it really is very sad indeed.

Diana said...

So sad to read this post. Another wasted life, such an awful tragedy. Makes me wonder if I should just leave my bike at home, find this so scarey and so sad.

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