A man has become the second pedestrian killed in Greenwich this year, after being hit by a lorry which initially failed to stop at the scene. 

The male pedestrian, believed to be aged in his early 50s, was hit in Bugsbys Way shortly after 3pm yesterday (February 2).

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Motorcyclist Pete Buck, 54, was travelling behind the lorry on his bike when the pedestrian was hit.

He said after being stopped at a red light, the traffic began to move forward and he noticed the lorry's front wheels life up as the vehicle accelerated.

Mr Buck thought the driver had clipped the kerb, until he spotted the pedestrian's lifeless body at the edge of the road.

He told News Shopper: "He just looked like a pile of rags at that point in the gutter."

Mr Buck, and the van driver behind him, acted quickly, manoeuvring their vehicles to direct the traffic away from the inside lane and shield the victim's body from the slowing cars.

He said: "I knelt down, went to speak to him see if I could get any response

"When I saw how badly injured he was it was clear I wasn’t going to get any response.

"He was clearly dead."

Mr Buck said the ambulance crew arrived within 10 minutes, but because of the vast amount of blood that had come from the victim's head, paramedics realised nothing could be done and covered him with a blanket.

He added: "It's very, very sad really. I just feel very sad for the guy.

"Even the people who passed it by and saw the aftermath, it was quite disturbing."

One of those walking nearby was 22-year-old Shanjida Swaranika, from Ilford, who was going to the cinema with friends when she saw the aftermath of the crash.

News Shopper:

Police and medics at the scene on February, 2.

Miss Swaranika said she saw a man on the phone calling what she believed was the emergency services, whilst the victim was still lying in the road.

She said as they got closer they realised the man was probably dead, due to the amount of blood on the road and the impact to his head.

She told News Shopper: "My heart goes out to this man and his family because I cannot imagine what they are going through.

"This is by far the worst thing I have seen in person and the image of the man will stay in my head for a long time to come."

As a visitor to the area, Miss Swaranika said she and her friends were unfamiliar with the roads, but remembers it being "dangerous and difficult" to cross Bugsbys Way.

Last month another pedestrian, a woman in her 40s, was killed after being hit by a bus in John Harrison Way - less than a mile away from yesterday's crash.

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Greenwich Millennium Village residents have mounted a campaign to improve road safety after last month's crash.

Reacting to road safety concerns raised in the wake of the crash, councillor Danny Thorpe, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, said: "I am deeply saddened to hear of this tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the gentleman at this very sad time.

"The police are investigating the incident and we will co-operate with that investigation and review the results as soon as they become available.

"We share the concerns of local people about road safety in the wider area and are currently working with Transport for London and the police to improve the situation."

A spokesman for the Met Police initially said the driver of the lorry failed to stop at the scene.

The vehicle- described as a red tipper lorry - has now been traced and the driver is assisting police with their enquiries.

A police spokesman added: "The man's next of kin have been informed.

"Formal identification is yet to take place.

"A post-mortem examination will be held in due course."

No arrests have been made and police enquiries continue.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Serious Collision Investigation Unit at Catford Traffic Garage on 0208-285-1574 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555-111.

Do you want to pay tribute to the victim? Email jessica.bell@london.newsquest.co.uk.