Emergency services at the scene of the collision Pic: @MPS Croydon

A cyclist has died after being hit by a lorry on St James’s Road in Croydon on Monday afternoon.

Police, paramedics and London’s air ambulance were called to the scene at around 1.40pm but the 25-year-old female was pronounced dead.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement on their website that the lorry driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and failing to stop at the scene.

One witness told the Croydon Advertiser: “I saw a person wobble a little bit on their bike and then I looked again and the lorry jolted from side to side, like it had hit something.

“I stopped my car and could see someone lying in the gutter between the pavement and the road covered in dirt. They weren’t moving. Their bike was in pieces.”

Tony James, 35, of cycling website Bikesy.co.uk, said: “This left me feeling sick because it was completely unnecessary. I know that bit of road well and it’s nasty.”

In response to a tweet by Croydon Metropolitan Police Service, one person claimed that the road has “been a death trap for years.”

@MPSCroydon been a death trap for years. Too busy, too narrow, has barriers keeping the pavement safe & a dodgy junction Needs looking at

— Luke Meaton (@Luke_Meaton) May 23, 2016

The junction with Lansdowne Road was closed down by police for several hours.

Witnesses have been urged to call Roads and Transport Policing Command at Catford on 020 8285 1574.