A priest who read the last rites to a dying cyclist in High Barnet was asked to take her funeral by the woman’s grieving widower.

Hilary Lee, 66, was killed instantly when she was struck by an industrial dumper truck in High Street, as she took the bend outside St John the Baptist Church at 2.55pm on October 16.

Assistant curate at the church, Charlotte Ballinger, said a prayer over the retired social worker’s body in the aftermath of the accident.

Mrs Lee’s husband Geoff heard about Ms Ballinger’s actions and said he felt compelled to ask her to take his late wife’s funeral last Saturday, which more than 200 people attended.

The 67-year-old retired firefighter, of Athenaeum Road, Whetstone, said: “It meant a lot to me that she was able to take the service as I was grateful to her for going to the scene of the accident.

“It was quite overwhelming the amount of people turned up and the amount of letters and cards I received about what a positive impact Hilary had on people. It was some comfort but it doesn’t make it easier.”

Police cordoned off High Street for several hours after the collision and the driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving.

Ms Ballinger spoke about the incident in a Church of England podcast this week, in which she called on people to mark the UN’s World Day of Remembrance for road traffic accident victims, on Sunday.

On the funeral, she said: “There was laughter and tears in equal measure. It was a celebration of the life of a very active and much loved woman but it was also an immensely sad occasion. Her life was cut short so suddenly and tragically.”

Ms Ballinger called on people to light a candle and remember those killed or injured in RTAs, as well as the emergency services that deal with such incidents.

Her sentiments were echoed by Mr Lee, who says the pain of losing his wife is more than he could possibly express.

He said: “When someone is killed on the road it is a terrible tragedy and all you can do is ask people just to be so much more careful.

“I would certainly support this remembrance day and any incident like this one should impact on the conscience of those on the roads and make them more careful.”

Mrs Lee was the 11th cyclist killed in London this year and the 95th killed on Britain’s roads in 2012.