This is the horrifying moment seconds before an Oxford
graduate cyclist was killed after being crushed by a 32-tonne lorry at one of
London's most dangerous junctions.
More photos below...
Ying Tao, 26, was 'sucked under the wheels' of the tipper
truck outside the Bank of England in London, with the vehicle only indicating
as the light changed.
Now her husband Jin Chuan Zhou has demanded police re-open
the investigation into her death months after it was decided no criminal
charges would be filed against driver Lee Williams due to a lack of evidence.
According to the Evening Standard, lawyers for Mr Zhou
are writing to City of London Police asking them to reconsider prosecuting Mr
Williams, who had been loading the vehicle at a nearby building site shortly
before the incident.
Mr Zhou, a scientist for Cancer Research UK, told the
paper: 'Given the evidence that has been shown in court it’s hard to understand
why there was no prosecution.'
Law firm Leigh Day will also be making a formal complaint
against the police for 'victim blaming'.
An inquest at City of London coroner's court heard Mr
Williams indicated just 1.4 seconds before pulling away at the traffic lights,
while an 'audible warning system' and a side sensor on the vehicle were both
broken.
Ms Tao, who worked at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, can also be
seen wearing a striking white helmet which officers said meant she was
'available to be seen' in Mr Williams' mirrors.
Collision investigator PC Tim Harryman said the left hand
side of the lorry struck Mrs Tao’s rear wheel as the vehicle turned. She
suffered various injuries and died at the scene.
But PC Harryman also told the court Mr Williams had not
'acted carelessly' and that Ms Tao was in the 'wrong gear', was in an 'unsafe
position' in the bike lane next to the lorry and was 'too slow to move off'.
Deputy Coroner Dr Roy Palmer held Ms Tao died as a result
of a road collision but said he had been 'deliberately cautious' in his verdict
due to possible further legal proceedings.
In a statement released today, City of London police said
there were 'no plans' to review pursuing a prosecution
A spokesman said: 'Our thoughts and sympathies are with
the family and friends of Ms Tao, as they have been since this tragic incident
took place.
'The police’s role is to investigate all circumstances
surrounding an incident, not to apportion blame.
'An investigation into the circumstances of this incident
was carried out and concluded in November 2015 with the decision to take no
further action.
'At this time we have no plans to review this decision.'
As previously reported, City of London Coroner’s Court
was told Mrs Tao was unable to get in front of the truck while she and the
lorry driver waited for the lights to change because the cycle box was full of
other cyclists.
Witness Christopher Lloyd said: ‘Lots of people started
screaming and shouting and ran straight over to her. I just came over and felt
all sick and tears flowing. I couldn't control it.’
Other witnesses told how she ‘struggled to get momentum’
when trying to start moving, and that neither the lorry nor a taxi behind it
were indicating left as they waited for the lights to change.
Witness Ian Hamilton said: ‘Given the congestion that
morning, the lorry was quick away from the lights. Given the number of cyclists
there, it wouldn’t have hurt to have held back slightly.’
Mrs Tao’s death - the eighth cycling fatality in London
in 2015 at the time prompted a flash protest by the London Cycling Campaign
during rush hour at the seven-way Bank junction.
Her grieving husband said at the time of her death that
she was ‘the perfect wife and perfect in every way’, while a friend, Claire
Zhao, described her as ‘the best person’.
Speaking on behalf of PwC, Neil Hampson, a partner at the
firm, said: 'We are shocked by this tragic news. Ying was a bright and popular
colleague with a promising career in front of her.
‘She excelled at everything she did, with a passion for
life, for work and for the friendships she made. It is a tragedy that a wonderful
young woman should lose her life at such an age.’
Mrs Tao studied economics at Robinson College, Cambridge,
and after completing a masters in the same subject at Oxford she went on to
work for PwC for almost three years.
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