Pictured: Cyclist, 33, killed in lorry crash was a PhD student who collaborated with Nobel laureates and advis
- Cheistha Kochhar died after a collision with a refuse lorry in Clerkenwell Road
Published: 07:26, 26 March 2024 | Updated: 09:46, 26 March 2024
A cyclist who was killed in a lorry crash in London[2] has been named as PhD student Cheistha Kochhar who worked as an advisor to the Prime Minister of India[3].
The 33-year-old died following a collision with a refuse lorry in Clerkenwell Road, near the junction with Farringdon Road shortly before 8.20pm on Tuesday, March 19.
Cheistha's family have paid tribute to a 'deeply intelligent' and 'sprightly' young woman who touched the lives of tens of thousands of people.
She had worked and collaborated with Nobel laureates and came to London as a scholar at the London School of Economics (LSE).
In a statement they said: 'Cheistha's deep intelligence and passions were belied by her sprightly demeanour and the consummate ease with which she eased people out of their shells to make friends with her.
Cheistha Kochhar, 33, died following a collision involving a lorry in Clerkenwell Road, near the junction with Farringdon Road, shortly before 8:20pm on Tuesday, March 19
'She always had a hug to spare for anyone and she lived her life with the principle that it was more important to be the kindest person in the room, than to be the smartest person in the room.
'In the short span she had on this planet, she touched tens of thousands of people in extremely meaningful ways and the magnitude of this loss is incomprehensible.'
Cheistha was born in Bareilly, in India in 1990 and graduated from Delhi University with BA in Economics and Mathematics in 2008.
She then went on to finish the PGP in Liberal Arts as a Young India Fellow from Ashoka University and then did another post-graduate course at the University of Chicago in International Development and Policy (MAIDP).
Cheistha worked with the Government of India in various roles, including as a fellow with the Ministry of Defence and as an advisor to the Prime Minister of India.
She also distributed excess food from college canteens to the needy as an undergraduate and to create employment opportunities for people in New Delhi.
A Google image of Clerkenwell Road, London, where the crash took place
The statement went on: 'In spite of her experience as a practitioner and an executive, she had the heart of an academician, having worked and collaborated with Nobel laureates, and she finally came to London as a PhD scholar in LSE.
'Even though these were early stages of her PhD, she was sure to work on studying and improving collaboration between various pro-social organizations to tackle the grand challenges that countries from the Global South face.
'She was an ardent patriot and wanted to bring all her expertise back to India to change lives.'
Police continue to appeal for witnesses and any road users with dashcam footage following the collision.
The lorry driver stopped at the scene and the driver has been helping police with enquiries.
There has been no arrest and enquiries into the circumstances continue.
Anyone who witnessed this incident, or road users who have footage which captured events, are asked to call 101 or 020 8246 9820 @MetCC and quote CAD6903/19Mar.
LondonIndia[4][5]