Tributes Paid to 'Superstar' Killed in Collision

Dean Jones was hit by a lorry on his way to meet friends for lunch

Dean was a member of Putney Running Club. Picture: Jones Family

November 29, 2024

Family and friends of the man killed on a Putney road earlier this month have continued to pay him tribute with a vigil being held at the site of his death at the weekend.

27-year-old Dean Jones was an accountant from South Africa who had lived in the area for three and a half years. He worked for the financial advisory firm BDO, in Baker Street, and was a keen runner having run several marathons and was a member of Putney Running Club and Fulham Running Club.

On Saturday 2 November, he decided to hire a Forest e-bike to meet up with friends for lunch but was hit by a tanker lorry on West Hill near the junction with Lytton Grove. It is understood that he was killed on impact.

Around 450 people attended his funeral earlier this month with insufficient room in the Church for those who wanted to be there.

His father Ian, who still lives in South Africa, told the Evening Standard, “Dean was an amazing guy. He was 27. He had just qualified as a chartered accountant the month before.

“It’s tragic. He was just at the beginning of his career. He had spent nine years studying. He was a superstar. The guys at work loved him. A lot of people are hurting. He was a legend.”

A vigil organised by the Wandsworth Cycling Campaign (WCC) was held for Dean by the site of his death this Saturday (23 November).

The group issued a statement highly critical of Wandsworth Council and the council leader, Simon Hogg saying ‘where is his outrage?’. It alleges that the council has prioritised motor traffic flow and parking over safe cycling. It calls on the council to address lorry danger and adopt the highest standards for safety for its own fleet and contractors working in the borough, introduce protect cycle lanes and safe crossings for cyclists on West Hill and embrace Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.

While West Hill is part of the A3 and part of TfL's network the council manage Lytton Grove.

Cllr Hogg said, “I send my condolences to the family and friends of the cyclist who tragically died in the accident.

"We are working hard with TfL to ensure safety is improved for everyone using the roads and we are keen to see the safety standards for lorries improved further, to help avoid accidents."

On the issue of the work being done to increase safety for cyclists he said, “Officers at the Council are working hard with TFL to ensure safety is improved for everyone using the roads and we are keen to see the safety standards for lorries improved further, to help avoid accidents.

“The council have informed both TfL and LCC that they should be adopting the Council’s standards for vehicle safety which far exceed what both organisations are currently signed up to. We believe this standard should be mandated to all large vehicles (not just restricted to those over 12.5T as TfL/LCC currently advocate).

“As a Council we are keen to encourage cycling and to make it safe and easy for people to make their journeys across the borough. We continue to listen to residents and key partners and we’re taking a number of important steps to help as many people as possible feel they can walk or cycle safely .”

Fleur Anderson MP for Putney issued a statement on the day of the vigil offering condolences to Dean’s family and friends and saying that having listened to the tributes made to him “it is evident that he was an extremely kind young person, full of enthusiasm for life.”

She continued, “I will do everything in my power to ensure that this can never happen again.

“I share in the Wandsworth and London Cycling Campaigns' outrage - this should not have happened. Dean was simply going about his day, using a healthy and environmentally friendly form of transport, and his life has been tragically cut short.

“Transport for London has introduced stricter safety standards for lorries, which will take full effect by May next year. These upgrades include better windows and cameras to eliminate blind spots and advanced sensors to alert drivers to cyclists and pedestrians. These measures will be vital to preventing further tragic collisions and saving lives. But we need to know what more must be done.

“The London Cycling Campaign and Wandsworth Cycling campaign have campaigned for these upgrades, and I will continue to work with them to ensure that safety is prioritised on our roads.”

Lytton Grove at the junction with West Hill. Picture: Google Streetview

It was the second fatality involving a Forest bike this year following the death of Cheistha Kochhar who was hit by a recycling lorry this March in Clerkenwell.

Spokesperson for Forest said, "We were deeply saddened to learn of a young life taken too soon. Our thoughts are with Dean's family and friends at this time."

The investigation into Dean’s death continues. The driver, who stopped at the scene, was not arrested. Dean was not an inexperienced cyclist and cycled regularly including to his workplace in Baker Street.

Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information including dash-cam footage of the scene between 1:30pm and 1:50pm on Saturday, 2 November, to call 101 quoting CAD 3850/02NOV24.