A MAN died after his bike collided with a car, despite the efforts of trainee nurses who tried to save his life.

The man, believed to be in his twenties, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in London Road, Westcliff, just after 9am on Monday.

It is thought the cyclist had collided with a Range Rover between the Queensway roundabout and Avenue Road, before the junction of North Road and Milton Road.

Trainee nurses walking near the scene rushed to try to resuscitate the man, but he could not be saved.

Richard Fox, a passerby, said: “I did not see what happened, I arrived seconds later. I was on my way to my builder’s yard. I got out of my van with my first aid kit, but it was inadequate for the injuries this poor man sustained.

“The trainee nurses who got down on their hands and knees to help save him, performing CPR until the emergency services arrived, should be praised.

They were fantastic.”

John Frettens at Cowans Electrical in London Road added: “I opened up at about five to nine and there were people outside and I thought, what’s going on?

“There were lots of people around and it took a good quarter of an hour for the ambulance to get there. There was a man bleeding in the road. A passerby was trying to do CPR on him, but the man was dead.”

A window cleaner, who did not wish to be named, said: “I came outside and was on the phone to my wife and I just saw him laying in the road. That was it.”

Visibly upset, a woman who also did not wish to be named, said: “I ran out and took blankets over. It was a young lad.”

The westbound carriageway of London Road was closed between Queensway, near Sainsbury’s, and the Cricketers pub for several hours.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “We received a call at 8.58am to a traffic incident in London Road, Westcliff.

We sent an ambulance officer, a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance crew to treat one patient.

“Despite our efforts the patient died at the scene.”

Any witnesses who have not yet spoken to police can call the serious collision investigation unit on 101, or e-mail collisionappeal@essex.pnn.police.uk or call Laindon road policing office on 101.

CONCERNED cyclists and motorists have spoken out over the dangers of the busy road.

The road is too narrow for cyclists, cars and bigger vehicles to use according to some road users.

Motorist Paul Slennett, 67, said the incident yesterday was “an accident waiting to happen”.

He said: “The problem is they didn’t put in a cycle lane so you’ve got cars, cyclists and bigger vehicles all competing for the same bit of road.

“The reality is there is an enormous pathway for pedestrians that is absolutely ridiculous. If a car tries to overtake a cyclist you end up on the other side of the road in the way of oncoming traffic.

“This could be the first of a number of accidents and I believe further accidents will occur.”

Cyclist Michael Fenske, 53, added: “I don’t know how this accident was caused, but there is a danger for cyclists there. I cycle down the road every day.

“Cyclists don’t have any space.

Cars have to wait behind cyclists because there is no room to pass.

“You would have thought there would be a cycle lane.”