Cyclist killed in collision with Olympics shuttle bus

A man on a bicycle was killed Wednesday in a collision with an Olympics media shuttle bus just outside London's Olympic Park, police said, while a man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.

An AFP reporter saw a man's legs protruding from under the double-decker bus on a Games lane slip road leading from the park. The man's mangled racing bicycle lay nearby.

A group of around 30 soldiers who had been carrying out security duties at the park ran over to the scene.

Police, ambulances, fire crews and an air ambulance were called to the incident. The man was pronounced dead by an air ambulance doctor.

The Metropolitan Police said they were called at 7.42pm (1842 GMT).

"The cyclist, a man aged 28, was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:14pm (1914 GMT)."

Next of kin have been informed and formal identification is expected to take place Thursday.

"A man aged in his mid 60s was arrested at the scene at 9:28pm (2028 GMT) on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and is currently in custody at an east London police station."

The incident happened metres outside the perimeter of the Olympic Park behind the Riverbank Arena, where a men's hockey match between Pakistan and Argentina was taking place.

The scene was cordoned off with police tape, while the soldiers put up black screens around the site and a blue tent was erected next to the bus.

The shuttle buses -- generally London double deckers -- ferry the thousands of journalists covering the Games between the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, and hotels in the city centre.

A London 2012 spokesman confirmed that the bus was carrying media from the Olympic Park.

In the wake of the fatal incident, Britain's Bradley Wiggins, who won the men's individual time trial gold earlier Wednesday, was asked about how safe London's roads are for cyclists.

"It's dangerous and London is a busy city and a lot of traffic," the Tour de France champion said.

"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.

"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.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cyclist-killed-collision-olympics-shuttle-bus-202659611--oly.html

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