A cyclist crushed by a tipper truck in east London has been killed, just weeks after the first London cyclist fatality of 2015.

The collision occurred when a cyclist, named as 34-year-old Akis Kollaros, was hit by a tipper truck which was turning left onto Homerton High Street in Hackney. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident marks the second cyclist fatality of 2015, both of which have involved heavy goods vehicles.

Heavy goods vehicles account for around half of cyclist deaths, but only make up around four percent of London’s traffic, according to London Cycling Campaign. Latest figures show that out of 14 cyclists who died on London’s roads during 2013, nine involved heavy goods vehicles.

Head of policy at Thompsons Solicitors, Tom Jones said: “Although we are just a few weeks into 2015, we have already witnessed the tragic deaths of two cyclists in London and both involved turning heavy goods vehicles.

“In crowded London streets government cuts mean that cyclists are being forced to go round holes and obstacles and run risks that a properly funded road infrastructure wouldn’t present. Add to the mix drivers with little or no cycle awareness training behind the wheels of huge vehicles that aren’t equipped to warn them what may be in their massive blind spots means, I fear, that we will only see more of this. Cyclists are being seriously injured and killed with grim regularity, yet the government is failing to provide the funding for safe roads or insist on improvements in the equipment on board HGV’s or in their design.

“It is high time the government took real and concrete action to protect cyclists if we are to see an end to the needless loss of life on our roads.”