Shock as cyclist dies 9 days after accident

A STUDENT has died nine days after he was involved in an apparently minor road accident while cycling home from university.

Tristan Hewins died on Saturday from internal injuries he suffered after careering into the back of a car on an Edinburgh street.

The popular student and championship rower had been at Napier University since last September studying for a Masters degree in journalism.

The 25-year-old, who was staying in student accommodation at Morrison Circus, Haymarket, had been travelling home from Napier’s Craighouse campus at 3.15pm on February 5, when he is believed to have crashed into the back of a Rover 200 car, which was turning left off Craighouse Road into Meadowspot.

The driver of the car is understood to have stopped and tended to the student just yards from the campus entrance for 20 minutes, before leaving after being assured he was fine. Mr Hewins is said to have been conscious and talking at the time.

But the student, originally from London, was later taken to the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after a passer-by called an ambulance when his condition began to deteriorate. He died nine days later from internal injuries.

A police source said: "The accident was considered to be very minor and was not reported to the police until the driver alerted us and reported very minor damage to his car. The victim was taken to the ERI, but his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening. However, he suffered internal injuries which had tragic consequences."

Shocked friends and colleagues today told of their amazement that a seemingly innocuous accident had ended the popular student’s life

.

One of Tristan’s flatmates, Alex Hatton, 21, said: "His father came in after the accident to collect some things of Tristan’s to take into the hospital and told us about the accident and that he was in intensive care, but that he was fine and that he was talking.

"It came as a huge shock to us on Saturday to find out that he had died.

"He was such a gentleman, he got on with everybody.".

Property management student Panagiotis Michalopoulos, 27, who also shared the city flat with Mr Hewins, said

: "It’s just terrible, especially because it didn’t seem that serious at the time. We couldn’t believe it when we heard that he had died."

Mr Hewins had come to Napier last year to study journalism after completing a degree in psychology at Durham University. A keen sportsman, Mr Hewins liked to cycle wherever he could and loved playing rugby, but his main passion was rowing.

He is believed to have a sister, Kate, who is studying at Edinburgh University and lives in the Capital.

Sheila Lodge, head of the School of Communication Arts at Napier University, said: "All those at Napier who knew Tristan Hewins were very saddened to hear of his death."

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "Any witnesses to the accident or anyone in the area at the time of the accident is asked to contact police."