Cyclist killed on 'extremely dangerous' crossing near Christchurch intersection
Friday, 18 September 2020
A cyclist has been killed at a “nightmare” Christchurch intersection just days after concerned residents met with transport officials to discuss adding safety measures.
Emergency crews responded to the crash on Brougham St, near the intersection of the Christchurch Southern Motorway and Simeon St in Addington, just before 8pm on Thursday.
A police spokeswoman said the cyclist was taken to Christchurch Hospital in a critical condition and later died.
Stuff understands the cyclist, a man in his 50s, was crossing the road when the van hit him.
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A witness to the crash, who asked not to be named, said he was driving in the westbound lane on Brougham St just before 8pm when he saw the cyclist crossing the road at a controlled crossing near Collins St. He was not sure if the cyclist had the green light to cross.
He then saw headlights of a vehicle travelling in the eastbound lane towards the cyclist “flicker”, shortly before it hit the man.
“I thought that was weird and as I got a wee bit closer he turned his lights off and I saw what had happened. It only flickered because [the cyclist] was in front of him for a split second.”
He said the crossing was a “bit of a nightmare”.
“You’ve got converging traffic as well as a set of lights that a lot of people don’t expect to be there when they’re coming off the motorway.”
The cause of the crash is being investigated, a police spokeswoman said.
It is understood the van had left the motorway and was in a 60kmh zone when it hit the cyclist.
Addington School’s board of trustees chair, Jo Robertson, said that, for the past three years, the school had been lobbying the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), the Christchurch City Council and local MPs to add safety measures to the Brougham and Collins street intersection.
“We’ve been really concerned about that intersection for a very long time. We’ve sort of been pushed from one agency to another with none of them really saying that they’ll be doing anything about it.”
The school finally had a breakthrough after meeting with the Spreydon-Cashmere Community Board, NZTA representatives, a road safety advocate and pupils and parents on Tuesday.
“We said that intersection is really dangerous and someone is going to get injured or killed on it.
“I feel like we finally got some traction on it this week, but it’s too late.”
Robertson said NZTA assured them it would add signage to the intersection and would look at redeveloping it in the long-term plan for Brougham St.
She said the recent death was “really unfortunate” given the school’s continuous lobbying, and she felt for the man’s family.
“It’s just gutting, I feel really sad for the van driver and for the family [of the cyclist] … it’s too close to home.”
An NZTA spokeswoman said the death was a “tragedy”.
“NZ Transport Agency is committed to reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads, including specific work aimed at improving safety for people who cycle.
“We never lose sight of the real human loss and grieving for every death on our roads and highways.”
She said work was under way to make Brougham St and Moorhouse Ave safer.
The Brougham work would include public transport routes, safer walking and cycling access across the busy highway, intersection improvements, and ensuring better traffic flow to keep freight moving.
Work was expected to start in late 2022 and take two years to complete.
The Christchurch City Council said it had received 12 complaints about the pedestrian crossing at the intersection with Collins St since November 2018. The road was managed by NZTA though, as it was a state highway.
The NZTA spokeswoman said the agency had received about 12 complaints regarding safety on Brougham St between 2012 and 2019.
None of the complaints were about the crossing specifically.
Leanne Baird said she and her daughter used the “extremely dangerous” crossing daily.
She had witnessed many near misses between motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, and believed the crossing needed a “major change” in design.
“Speed is a major factor also, with trucks and cars going through red and orange lights. It is just a matter of time before another death in this area happens.”
Nineteen others have died on Canterbury roads so far this year – 13 fewer than the same time last year – according to NZTA data.
At least 27 other crashes have happened on the stretch of Brougham St where it intersects with Simeon and Collins streets since January 2000.
Two resulted in serious injuries, eight caused moderate injuries and 17 did not involve injuries.