Cyclist killed in east-London crash last month was trying to 'de-stress': brother

A 24-year-old cyclist, who died after a crash in east London nearly one month ago, was the father of two young boys, and was riding his bicycle to "de-stress," according to his older brother.

Nicholas Keddy was killed after being hit by a vehicle at around 10:30 p.m. at the intersection of Hamilton Road and East Street.

"The night he left, it was around 10-ish, he asked if he could use my bike," explained Matthew Turner.

Keddyhad moved in with Turner and his partner roughly six weeksbefore the fatal crash. Turner saidKeddy was trying to leave a rough life behind him, and came to London for a fresh start.

"I said 'Well sure, but you just need to be back in an hour Nick, because you don't want to get into [trouble] around here.'"

That night, Turner remembers hearing the sirens wailing not far from his house. He didn't start piecing together the reason for the emergency response until about two hours later when a police officer showed up at his door step. The officer said there'd been an accident. Turner immediately went to the hospital.

"My little brother is clumsy. He's 24, and I know at least 37 times he's been hit by a car. So I kind of laughed it off, like 'you're dragging me out of my house for this? How many bumps did he get?'"

The officer didn't reply at first, explained Turner, and then said to "expect the worst."

Turner said he's been able to put together what happened the night his brother was killed. Keddy was cycling along Hamilton Road, with headphones on, when one vehicle changed lanes to try and catch his attention. Turner said a second vehicle, an SUV, hit him from behind. He saidhis brother was thrown over the vehicle, landed behind it on the back of his head, and was run over by a car.

"Where we're from, we have more bike lanes so my brother is used to riding on the side of the road," he explained.

Turner would like to seemore bike lanes, particularly in the east end of the city. Had there been a bike lane on Hamilton Rd.,Turner thinks his brother would have realized how far he'd veered out into traffic.

"With a bike lane, there's that line. People know what it means. But there was nothing for him to guide himself, even if he wasn't pay attention fully to what was going on around him."

London police saidtheir investigation into the crash is complete. No charges will be laid.

Though both brothershave struggled with addiction, Turner saidthe coroner told him there were no drugs in Keddy's system at the time of the crash.

Keddy leaves behind two sons, agessix and three. He's also remembered by five siblings, and his parents, Douglas Turner and Kristal Doiron.

"He wanted that fairy tale kind of life. He always wanted to love everyone, he always wanted the best for everyone," said Turner. "He was always, for the most part, trying to be the best he could possibly be and always wanting the best he could get for his two kids."

A white bike, or ghost bike, was placed near the scene of the crashduring a memorial bike ride in Keddy's honour Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old cyclist Tristan Robyis fighting for his life in hospital after a hit and run on Exeter Roadnear Wonderland Road on Sunday night.