Pediatric cancer doctor dies after being thrown nine metres from his bicycle by a speeding driver

A pediatric cancer doctor from Philadelphia died when she was thrown about 30 feet through the air and knocked off her bicycle by a speeding driver, police said.

Barbara Ann Friedes, 30, was riding on a designated bike lane near Rittenhouse Square when a 68-year-old driver struck her with his Volkswagen around 7 p.m. Wednesday, 6ABC reported.

Friedes, a senior resident at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, was rushed to a nearby hospital with severe traumatic brain injury, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The young doctor, who was wearing a helmet at the time, was thrown six to ten meters before hitting the ground, police said.

After hitting Friedes, the driver reportedly continued down the road before colliding with two parked cars.

Friedes, originally from Colorado, had only recently been promoted to her position.

“Barbara was a beacon of light and was chosen as chief of surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for this academic year because of her many talents, skills and accomplishments,” Dr. Jeanine Ronan, a CHOP physician-in-chief, said in a statement.

“She was loved by so many and embodied kindness, strength and deep compassion for all who crossed her path,” Ronan continued, adding that the “CHOP community is in mourning following her tragic loss and keeps her family, friends and loved ones in our hearts.”

No charges have yet been filed in connection with the fatal accident.

The driver, whose name was not released publicly by police, was treated in hospital for minor injuries after the collision.

It was not immediately clear whether he was impaired at the time.

Police said the cause was still under investigation.