Huge crowd at Euston sparked by double fire alert hours after biker crash on Tower Bridge

 
Fire alert: A false alarm and a fire in the drivers’ mess caused this scene at Euston
David Churchill12 December 2013

A man was today fighting for life in hospital after being hit by a motorbike on Tower Bridge in a night of rush-hour chaos for commuters.

The accident just before 3pm yesterday caused gridlock into the evening with the bridge closed for five hours, leading to tailbacks stretching from Southwark Bridge to the Blackwall Tunnel.

The casualty, a 32-year-old man, was in collision with a Ducati Monster superbike as he crossed Tower Bridge Road. Witnesses said the motorcycle veered into the man after being clipped by a car on the south side of the bridge.

Train commuters suffered further misery when all train services at Euston Station were suspended following a fire in the drivers’ mess at 6.40pm.

Masses of people: A scene from Euston station last night

A huge crowd gathered on the concourse outside before the all-clear was given 45 minutes later. The station had been evacuated three hours earlier following reports of a fire in the plant room which turned out to be a false alarm.

Witnesses described how the motorbike victim lay motionless in the middle of the road after being knocked down as it travelled south. He was treated by air ambulance medics before being driven to hospital.

Long wait: A scene inside Euston as the crowds began to clear Picture: Nigel Howard

Romeo Angelotti, 40, said: “The guy was walking across the road and the biker just didn’t see him. He crashed into him and knocked him straight to the ground. It was a bad smash. The guy wasn’t moving.”

Waiter Roda Clark, 28, said: “It looked like the car came up behind the back of the motorbike and clipped it because it spun over to the side of the road.”

Lee Payne, 25, manager at The Bridge House pub overlooking the scene, said: “The bike stopped 50ft down the road and the rider was looking back at the guy on the floor.

Bike crash: A man is fighting for life Picture: Nigel Howard

“He was down for a long time. I thought he must have been dead. Paramedics had an oxygen mask and cut his clothes off.”

Police were today appealing for witnesses after the victim was taken to Royal London Hospital with life threatening head injuries. The rider was not arrested.

Simon Vernon, a map maker, was stranded on nearby Tooley Street.

Road closed: Police at the scene on Tower Bridge after the crash Picture: Nigel Howard

He said: “I haven’t seen traffic this bad for years. It took about an hour and 20 minutes to go 800 yards. It was an absolute nightmare.”

Julian Dobos, 25, a builder trying to get home in east London from Elephant and Castle, said: “It’s a joke. It’s took hours just to get to Tooley Street.”

Hundreds of rail users faced cancellations Euston. East Midlands trains began accepting Virgin tickets after journeys were suspended for up to 45 minutes.

Margaret Atkins, 57, visiting her daughter from Stafford, said: “There was an announcement asking to evacuate because of an emergency. It was a bit frightening because there were lots of police and there were hundreds of people outside.”

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “Following the incident on Tower Bridge Road at around 3pm, a male pedestrian has been taken to an East London hospital.

“It is thought that there was a collision between the pedestrian and a motorcycle. The male pedestrian condition is currently in a critical condition. There have been no arrests.”

Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact officers at Catford Traffic Garage via the Witness Appeal Line on 020 8285 1574.

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