Ciarán FaheyAnother cyclist was run over by a truck in Weißensee, Berlin this morning. She’s in hospital now with broken bones and life-threatening injuries. The truck driver didn’t even notice and drove on.
The truck driver who ran over Laëtitia Graffart and killed her was absolved of blame yesterday. The judge found she caused her own death because she swerved in front of the truck to avoid a money transporter that was parked on the cycle path.
It's bullshit. If you're a truck driver and you see a money transporter parked on the cycle lane and a cyclist approaching it, you should be able to anticipate the situation and slow down to give her room to pass. But no. She's in the wrong, apparently.
The Tagesspiegel report said the driver heard Graffart’s scream and could have slammed on the brakes to stop – she might have survived. But he didn’t apply full pressure to the brake. Perhaps he didn’t want someone behind to crash into him, who knows, but he should have anticipated the danger in the first place.
She was 37. Killed by a truck (driver).
It's up to Berlin's authorities – Manja Schreiner take note – to make sure the city's roads are safe for cyclists. There are absolutely no excuses – it doesn't matter how many car spaces it takes or how many motorists it pisses off. Cyclists shouldn't be dying to keep motorists happy.
And no, Manja, cycling helmets are not the answer. Keeping trucks and cars off cyclists is the answer.