London Mayor Nearly Killed While Cycling

By luck alone, the UK avoided an awful tragedy last Friday as a group of government officials on bicycles–including London mayor Boris Johnson and the country’s top transportation minister–was nearly wiped out by a freak traffic accident.

Johnson and his party were riding normally through the neighborhood of Canary Wharf when a truck drove past, seemingly going too fast given the narrowness of the street. As it came abreast, the vehicle’s back gate flew open, hooking a parked car and hurling it across the street, narrowly missing the cyclists. The whole incident was captured by a security camera.

Ironically, the government officials were on a scouting trip, looking at potential routes for a bicycles-only “super highway” planned for London.

Reportedly shaken, Johnson can be seen afterward on the security footage holding his helmet and surveying the crushed car.

According to this local news segment, he declined an interview–but it’s hard to imagine that he’s not now acutely aware of the advantages of barrier-separated lanes for cyclists.