LONDON: A cyclist killed in London this week in a rush-hour collision with a truck has been named as Shatha Ali, a lawyer in the city. She was born in Bahrain and her family moved to London when she was a one year old.
Relatives described the 39-year-old as a “truly kind soul” and said she loved traveling and had a wide circle of friends. They told the Evening Standard that she was always willing to help others.
Ali had a successful career in corporate law. She worked for leading international firm Latham and Watkins and was an Islamic finance expert. But her family, who live in London, said she was not defined by her career and, after becoming a partner in the firm, decided last summer to take a career break.
“She did very well, extremely well, at work but that was not the focus of her life,” they said.
“She was everybody’s ‘go to’ person. We always depended on her. She traveled to so many places. Last weekend she was hiking with her sister.”
Her father, Hasan Ali, said: “She was extremely generous and contributed to many, many charities. She had very good, close friends.”
Ali was very familiar as a cyclist with London’s roads, according to her friend, Ala’a Al-Shehabi, who said: “Shatha should not have died in this horrific way.”
Ali died on Tuesday morning at the scene of the accident at the Holborn intersection. She is the eighth cyclist killed there since 2008. The London Cycling Campaign, which is demanding safety improvements, is planning a vigil for her on Friday.
