Olympic Bus Driver Arrested After Cyclist Death Crash

Olympic Bus Driver Arrested After Cyclist Death Crash

The driver of an official Olympic bus has been arrested after a cyclist was knocked down and killed.

The 28-year-old died last night after being hit by a bus ferrying journalists between Olympic venues.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said a man in his mid-60s was arrested at the scene, just outside the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London at 9.28pm on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

The victim was struck by the double-decker just after 7.30pm.

He was not believed to be an athlete, and is expected to be formally identified later today.

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 has been bailed pending further inquiries to a date in August, police said. A date for a post-mortem examination is yet to be fixed.

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "We were called at just after 7.30pm to reports of a road traffic collision involving a cyclist and a coach on the A106.

"We sent a single response car, one ambulance crew, the London air ambulance and the duty officer.

"Sadly one person was pronounced dead at the scene by the air ambulance doctor."

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.

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