On Tuesday, 24th March at 6pm, we held a short vigil at Atlantis Avenue, where, on 10th March, Rich Wisken, a copywriter originally from Australia who lived just nearby in Gallions Reach, was hit by the driver of a TfL 366 bus. He died in the ICU at the Royal London Hospital 4 days later. We were joined by Rich’s partner, his brother and father, and some friends and neighbours. Our co-ordinator, Jonathan, read the following remarks. We then observed a minute’s silence.
We are here this evening because two weeks ago, on Tuesday 10th March, Richard Wisken was cycling here, on Atlantis Avenue, when he was involved in a crash with a TfL 366 bus. Police were called at 5:51pm, and paramedics from London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended and took Rich to hospital.
Sadly, Richard Wisken died 4 days later, on Saturday 14th March. He was 43 years old.
Our deepest condolences go to his family, his friends, and everyone who knew and loved him. We are grateful and honoured that some of Rich’s family—his brother, Alex, and his father Ian, and his partner Mel—have chosen to be here with us tonight.
Rich’s family told us a little about him—including how much he loved living in the area and considered it is home, and how much it meant to them he donated his organs, benefiting five Londoners on the waiting list for a transplant.
While the investigation into this crash is ongoing, what we do know is that, despite advances in safety in some parts of London, people cycling and people walking keep being killed by drivers of vehicles. I say that not to apportion blame, but as a statement of fact.
Today is the 83rd day of 2026. And in those 83 days, we have seen four separate people killed after being hit while cycling.
Even in our borough of Newham, Rich is the third person to die after being hit while cycling in the past fifteen months.
It does not have to be like this, and it should not be like this. We should not be here today, because Rich should still be here today.
Every person who is killed on our streets had people who loved them. They had goals in their life. They had plans for what they were going to do at their destination.
TfL have committed to Vision Zero, to end traffic deaths on London’s roads in the next 15 years. But too much of the machinery of London views tragedies like this as personal failings. We treat cycling and walking as something inherently dangerous when they’re not. We expect people to armour up to protect themselves from danger they should never be exposed to in the first place.
Our streets and roads need to be safe, everywhere, and for everyone. And people should not have to die first to justify them being made safe.
The only acceptable number of deaths in traffic is zero.
Making this street, Atlantis Avenue, safe, won’t bring Richard back, but it will make sure that no other families have to suffer this heartbreak in future.
We will now take a moment to reflect, and observe a minute’s silence to pay our respects to Rich Wisken, who died after being hit here 2 weeks ago.
May he rest in peace. Thank you.