A woman died in Copenhagen early this morning after her bicycle was struck by a van at the junction of Vigerslevvej and Valby Langgade in Valby.
The woman, who was in her 40s, sustained fatal injuries when a white Mercedes van ploughed into her at the crossing.
The police are still interviewing witnesses, but suspect that the car drove through a red light.
“We haven’t spoken to all of the witnesses yet so I can’t say much at the moment, but we suspect that the van went through a red light,” Jens Christiansen, a spokesperson from Copenhagen Police, told Ekstra Bladet tabloid. “The accident happened when the woman turned to cycle down Vigerslevvej and was then hit.”
Police technicians have arrived on the scene and the police have taken a blood sample from the driver of the van, who is in shock after the accident and is currently being interviewed by the police.
The woman’s next of kin have yet to be informed of the tragedy.
READ MORE: Minister takes action after latest fatal bicycle accident
Red light turn trial
The accident is the latest in a string of recent fatalities involving cyclists in the Copenhagen area. The accidents prompted the transport minister, Pia Olsen Dyhr (SF), to examine how the number of right-hand turn accidents can be minimised.
As of today, two intersections in Gladsaxe became the first in Denmark where it will be legal for bicyclists to turn right at red lights as part of an experiment to reduce fatalities.
“A lot of cyclists experience having to stop at red lights in places where they could safely turn right without endangering others,” Morten Bødskov (S), the justice minister, said in a press release. “The trial period will run through to the end of 2015 and we’ll have a good foundation to make a decision about a more permanent initiative.”
Aside from the two intersections in Gladsaxe, a number of other locations around the nation will also take part in the trial. The identity of those areas will be revealed before the end of this year.
