Thursday 12 July 2012

Unbelievable!

So, I was cycling home after the last of three very busy, long days at work (and I mean longs days of 13.5 hrs!) looking forward to seeing my wife and having a wee dram. The weather was dry and warm, the traffic was very light and it was still daylight despite the time of 21.00hrs. I was wearing a bright red cycling jersey and had my lights on. What could go wrong?

I was on the main road in secondary and about to pass a side road to my left. A driver approached the give way to turn onto the main road and slowed almost to a stop a couple of metres from the junction. I attempted to make eye contact but he was looking the other way at the time. Still, I was pretty sure he'd seen me. We had direct line of sight and I was pretty visible. Less than a couple of seconds later I was passing in front of the junction at which point the vehicle suddenly accelerated over the give way lines towards me. 

I saw it happening and so accelerated and turned towards the centre line in an attempt to get out of the vehicle path. Not quite enough though and I was clipped on the back wheel/rear triangle. I had been doing about 15 mph before the junction and was likely doing about 18 mph by this point. I lost control completely as the back of the bike snaked from side to side before flipping me onto the road.

I hit the tarmac quite hard on my left side and rolled several times before coming to a rest. I didn't feel much in the way of pain and started to look up to get a vehicle reg. The elderly driver had pulled over and was coming across to me. "Unbelievable!" I shouted in a Victor Meldrew type way. "How could you not see me?" I then realised my arms, chest and neck were actually hurting quite a bit and so decided to lay still and ask for an ambulance. I knew I could move everything but also that the mechanism of injury was substantial and I might have neck injuries which could be made worse if I tried to get up. I didn't want to risk some permanent injury which might leave me in a wheelchair.

By now people were coming out houses and some cars had stopped. I was tended to by first aiders while we waited for the emergency services and then got fitted into a neck collar my head secured with blocks and was placed onto a spinal board for the transfer back to A&E. I say back to A&E because that is my place of work. I am a Charge Nurse there. 

I was assessed by the colleagues I had left an hour so before and fortunately my neck injuries were deemed to be muscular only. My worst pain was now in my chest and right arm but I had no fractures and was discharged with analgesia and advice. I rang the wife and she set out to collect me and in the meantime I spoke to the Police. Details were given and I learnt the driver was being charged with driving without due care and attention. I also found out where my bike was as it had been taken in by some one who lived close to the scene. 

I decided not to think too much about the damage to the bike and contact them tomorrow to arrange collection. I was glad to be alive but disappointed my long planned cycle trip along the Way of the Roses with my brother in law and his sons, due to start two days later, was now in serious doubt. I slept badly.

Tuesday 10 July 2012

Back Blogging

Well, I've not blogged for quite some time so I thought I best do a quick update before I lose the habit all together.

It's not that I don't have any cycling stuff to blog about. I've actually got a fair list of issues I could blather on about. The main problem is I've just been too busy. You see we have been house hunting and working extra to get as much for a deposit as possible. We have now found somewhere so some of the pressure has eased for the moment at least.

The house (fingers crossed) will give us a garden for the Golden Child, a guest bedroom and, for me particularly, a garage/shed/workshop type area! My own dedicated bike storage and general tinkering area. Really excited.

The list of cycling things I hope to be writing about soon are as follows (this is as much to spur me on as whet your appetites!)
  • Being knocked off my bike and taken to hospital on a spinal board (ouch!)
  • Police and legal action following the above
  • Cycling the Way of the Roses with some family (one of them on a Brompton)
  • Adaptations of the Pedalpower+ battery unit
  • Riding the new MTB trail at Philips Park, Prestwich
  • Cycling with the Golden Child on the Tagalong
  • A possible new bike for the missus (is this a more acceptable term than wifey?)
  • Cycle tour plans for September 2012 in Wales
  • Cycling the Manchester to Blackpool NIGHT ride in September
Hope to write again soon.