Safety concerns have been raised after a cyclist died in a collision between a van, a car and a tanker.

Surrey Police confirmed the female cyclist, a woman in her 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene after the accident near the junction of Rydens Road and Molesey Road.

 

A second application to develop Weylands Treatment Works, an anaerobic waste digestion facility, could see 231 heavy goods vehicles making trips to the Molesey Road site each day.

Councillor Christine Elmer, for Walton South, said she heard the noise of the sirens, and along with her husband, Councillor Chris Elmer, also for Walton South, said the death was shocking and offered condolences to the family and friends of the cyclist.

She said: "That road is really busy, it's already congested. We are being threatened with hundred of extra traffic movements from Weylands and potentially thousands with Drake Park.

"How can that road take any more traffic and be safe?"

Mick Flannigan, of Rydens Road, said: "There are two concerns about Molesey Road really. One is school children and safety, the other is the sheer volume of traffic there.

"There's a lot of industrial traffic because of the Weylands waste site so heavy goods vehicles go up and down there all day long which is always a concern with four or five schools in the area.

"We've had a couple of fatal accidents in these parts involving cyclists. This is the third cycling fatality to my knowledge in recent years.

"It would get worse still if permission is to be given for Weylands."

Molesey Road was closed between Walton Park and Hersham Road after emergency services were called to the scene at about 6.40am.

The driver of the van, a man, was taken to St George’s Hospital, Tooting, with serious injuries.

Simone Warner, referring to a similar crash in Denmark Hill, London, this morning, tweeted: “2 female cyclists just trying to get from A to B this morning on their bikes. One dead following a collision in Walton involving a lorry...”

 

 

In September 2012, a 79-year-old cyclist, Robert Cherry, died after a collision with an HGV carrying a skip in Rydens Road, not far from where today’s fatal accident took place.

Mr Cherry suffered a fractured skull and later died in St George's Hospital, Tooting. An inquest into his death in April 2013, heard he had turned unexpectedly into Ambleside Avenue and the lorry driver was unable to avoid him.

In regards today’s incident, a Surrey Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We were called to a road traffic accident in Molesey Road, Hersham at 6.42am and sent four fire engines and one specialist vehicle to the scene.

“We rescued a man who was trapped in his van, with the ambulance service taking over once he was freed.”

Four pumps were sent from Esher, Painshill, Chertsey and Sunbury fire stations.

There is still no access to Hersham station for traffic from the south due to the road closures and people are being asked to avoid the area.

Councillor Andrew Kelly, for Walton Ambleside, said: “This is awful news. My thoughts are with the family and friends of the lady who has died, and I hope the van driver makes a swift and complete recovery.

“If anyone saw the collision, I'd urge them to contact the police.”

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash are on-going and police said there would be updates in due course.

Anyone who saw the collision or the events surrounding it should call Surrey Police on 101 quoting reference P15136173.