Every time he rode his bike I feared for his life, says widow
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard
The widow of a cyclist knocked down and killed by a lorry has told how she feared for his life every time he rode his bike.
Paul Hendrich, 36, was killed minutes from his Battersea home on his way to university.
Today, his widow Sasha Smith, 35, told of her regret that their oneyearold daughter would never know her father - but also of her happiness at the 10 years they spent together.
The couple had been through four years of fertility treatment before having their "miracle" daughter, Agatha.
Mr Hendrich was knocked down in Battersea Park Road on 16 January., soon after strapping Agatha into her pushchair and waving her and his wife off to Clapham Common.
Ms Smith recalled: "He said, ' Goodbye, have fun.' It was a sunny day and everything seemed perfect. The silly thing is I always worried about him riding in London, but when he was coming home rather than when he left.
"If he was 10 minutes late I'd panic and text him to find out where he was. I would never ask him not to cycle because I knew how much he loved it, but I told him how scared it made me.
"I worried about the bike lanes that end suddenly and about the roads where huge lorries and buses jostle with little cyclists. When I saw the police had left a card on the afternoon he died I thought it might be for Paul as he was due to give evidence for another crash, but then it hit me and I started screaming."
The couple met in Tokyo, where they were both teaching English, and married in 1999 when they returned to England. They both wanted children but Ms Smith had only a one per cent chance of conceiving. After four years of fertility treatment she fell pregnant.
She said: "When we had Agatha I think Paul felt complete. They really loved each other and that's what hurts me most - the thought Agatha will grow up not knowing her father.
"Of course there are a few videos and in the pictures you can see how much Paul loves her, but for her it will be all second-hand memories. He would look after her two days a week and we called them Daddy Days. He loved them."
Mr Hendrich had passed his masters in anthropology with distinction and was at Goldsmith's College in New Cross working on research that would lead to a doctorate. He was also a youth worker involved in projects, such as setting up a health drop-in service.
Ms Smith said: "He was such a dynamic person, so energetic. He would do all these wonderful things but at the same time cook me every meal, bath Agatha, change her nappies, take her swimming. I never had to ask him to help. He was my best friend, we chatted, we laughed and we never argued. People used to say to us we were the perfect couple. I don't regret anything as we had 10 wonderful years together. Paul used to say our lives were so perfect it couldn't possibly last."
Professor Sophie Day from Goldsmiths spoke of Mr Hendrich's "enthusiasm, generosity and kindness", and said he would have been a great field researcher. "His death will be deeply mourned throughout Goldsmiths," she said.
A memorial service will be held at the college on 9 February. A lorry driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and bailed.
You can see a picture of Paul and his wife:
www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23434442-details/Every+time+he+rode+his+bike+I+feared+for+his+life,+says+widow/article.do
