A much-loved dad has died five days after being hit by a car while cycling in east London – just hours after celebrating Father’s Day with his family.
Barry Shonibare, 71, from Forest Gate, was cycling in Wanstead Flats on June 16 when he was struck.
His daughter, Shanie Ensley, 48, told Metro he suffered ‘horrific’ injuries in the crash but was conscious when she visited him in hospital.
‘The last thing I said to him was, “I’ll see you in a few days, don’t worry, we’ve got everything covered. I love you,”‘, she said.
Shanie added when she tried to ‘lift the mood’ by jokingly asking her dad what he had been up to, she said he insisted he was in the safe zone on the road.
She added he was concerned about the stray kittens in his garden and urged her to check on them.
Shanie said her dad told her the last thing he said to her was ‘I want to live’ before she kissed him goodbye.
Five days later, the family were told to come to hospital as Barry had suffered a cardiac arrest.
Shanie said when they were ushered into the family room by doctors on June 21, she knew her father had died after seeing tissues were laid out on the table by nursing staff.
‘It’s a terrible, sad and tragic loss for us, and I’m finding it difficult how I’m going to cope,’ she added.
‘It is the first time he will miss my 16-year-old daughter’s birthday.’
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She said Barry had worked in a number of jobs over the years, including being a member of the territorial army, a youth worker, a teacher and a security guard.
She described her dad as ‘an extraordinary man,’ adding that he had ‘warmth and humour that could shift from a clever wit to wildly inappropriate in just a few seconds.’
‘You would always learned something with him, and he was very charming and handsome,’ she said.
‘He was well-known in his local area and all of his neighbours absolutely loved him – especially his upstairs neighbour, this little old lady,who he used to look after.’
Addy Enley Otti, Barry’s niece, said she doesn’t want her uncle’s death to be in vain, and is urging for speed cameras to be installed in the area.
She added that they are urging for action from the Mayor of London, TfL and local councils to stop any further deaths.
She told Metro: ‘We need fully segregated cycle lanes.
‘There are better safety measures that can be done to prevent this in the future, because this shouldn’t happen again, and I just don’t want my uncle’s death to be in vain.’
Campaign group Newham Cyclists said the location of the crash, which was on the A114 Centre Road at the border of Newham and Redbridge, is known to be dangerous due to a mixture of high speeds from motorists and a lack of protection for cyclists.
They said: ‘Newham Cyclists is deeply saddened to hear of the death of Barry Shonibare while he was cycling on the A114 Centre Road/Woodford Road.
‘Our thoughts are with Mr Shonibare’s loved ones as they navigate an appalling loss that no family should ever have to endure.
‘People are exposed to danger every day on Centre Road/Woodford Road—with no protected space for cycling on the Newham part of the road, wide lanes and a painted median that invite speeding, and poor driver compliance at the zebra crossing at Capel Road.
‘We completely concur with Mr Shonibare’s family in their call for speed cameras on Centre Road, and also urge the Mayor of London, TfL, and Newham and Redbridge councils to fund and deliver safe cycling infrastructure to ensure no-one else is killed or hurt on this important corridor.’
A spokesperson for Transport for London said: ‘We are awaiting the outcome of the police investigation into Mr Shonibare’s tragic death and will work with the council to explore initiatives to enhance safety on their roads.
‘It is our priority to make London’s transport network safer for everyone and we will continue to work closely with boroughs, local partners and the police to respond to concerns about road safety.’
London’s Metropolitan Police said there have been no arrests and the driver, a 26-year-old man, has been helping police with their enquiries.
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