A family has warned 'more lives could be lost' after their cyclist daughter died in a horror lorry crash just months after moving to a UK city.
Emma Newman, 22, from Moulineaux, Paris, was seriously wounded in a collision at King George V Bridge on Broomielaw, Glasgow on January 27.
She was rushed to the city's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital but sadly died soon after, reports the Daily Record.
Her heartbroken parents, Rose Marie Burke and John Newman, now believe their daughter would still be alive if there had been better road infrastructure in place to separate cyclists from HGVs and buses.
They also shared that French-American national Emma, who had lived in Scotland for just three months before she passed away, had “already fallen in love” with the country.
She had recently started working as a designer at Glasgow architecture firm New Practice, which is focused on improving community and urban spaces.
In a new blog post, Rose Marie and John spoke of the tragic "symbolism" of the Emma's fatal accident, as an experienced young cyclist who had dedicated her career to improving the quality of public spaces saw herself fall victim to the dangers of a city centre road.
They wrote: “The symbolism is terribly searing. A young woman cyclist, 22 years old, on the cusp of adulthood, has carved out her path in life – devoted to making cities safer and more beautiful for all – but is crushed at the south entrance to the city centre of Glasgow.
“Our daughter, Emma Burke Newman, was a strong and experienced cyclist. She cycled everywhere in the much bigger cities of Paris, London, and Berlin.
“But, only three months into living in Scotland, she was roadkill at that deadly junction, as if the world were saying, no, you cannot. Not now.
The bereaved couple went on to say that had Emma survived, she would have made safer travel around cities her "life's work" - and said it was now down to them to take on the mantle to "ensure that her death was not in vain.”
Rose Marie and John also warned that more lives could be lost in the same way, as Scotland’s cycling infrastructure was “a decade behind or more” compared to other countries.
They have urged Scots to back the Pedal on Parliament event this weekend, an annual event which sees campaigners embark on a group cycle to Holyrood to call for safer roads.
Emma’s parents added: “Although we are still in mourning, we have decided to support Pedal on Parliament as our first political action. We are demanding ‘No Backpedalling.’
“Scotland has great plans and the budget for active travel. Now it must deliver, without stalling.
“Given that the country is a decade or more behind, there is no time to lose – only more lives to be lost.”
The pair said there was now a clear need for better "identification and remediation of dangerous hotspots" and tougher enforcement of existing rules and regulations - such as using dash-cam video to catch lawbreakers.
New road infrastructure to separate cycles from HGVs and buses is vital, they said, as well as an overall “shift in attitudes” to make active travel safer.
Chris Russell, one of the organisers of this Saturday's Pedal on Parliament event, said: “We are honoured to have the support of Emma Burke Newman's parents.
“Emma's tragic death is a stark reminder of why we campaign. The Scottish Government and local councils must double-down on investment to make Scotland a cycle-friendly country where people of all ages and abilities can get around safely by bike.”
Emma was taken to hospital after the crash on the morning of January 27 but sadly died a short time later.
Flowers were laid in tribute near the site of the crash, as colleagues described the 22-year-old as a “brilliant young woman” and a “charming presence”.
