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Cyclist breaks collarbone after car passenger shoves him off bikePolice tape (CC licensed by freefotouk on Flickr)

Cyclist breaks collarbone after car passenger shoves him off bike

West Mercia Police appeal after incident in Alvechurch last week
by Simon_MacMichael
Wed, Oct 23, 2019 21:28
14

West Mercia Police are appealing for information after a cyclist sustained a broken collarbone when he was pushed from his bike in Worcestershire last week – the latest in a number of such incidents we have reported on.

The victim, a 35-year-old man from Northfield, was cycling past Kings Norton Golf Club on Brockhill Lane, Weatheroak Hill at 2pm last Thursday 17 October when the incident happened.

He said that he was pushed off his bike by the occupant of a small, dark blue car, possibly a Vauxhall Corsa, and added that the car’s occupants were laughing as the driver made off.

Besides the broken collarbone, the cyclist suffered cuts and bruises after landing in a hedge, with passers-by coming to his aid.

He will have to take a minimum of six weeks off work while he recovers, which police say will impact both him and the company he works for.

Officers are continuing to investigate and half asked anyone with information to contact them on 101 quoting incident 0436s of 19th October 2019 or the charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

Last week we reported how South Staffordshire Police were trying to track down a man filmed pushing a cyclist into a hedge in Wolverhampton on 8 October.

And on Monday last week, road.cc reader Mike Walsh asked us to warn fellow cyclists after a vehicle passenger attempted to push him off his bike as he was riding in Edgbaston, south west Birmingham.

> Birmingham cyclist warns fellow riders after car passenger pushed him off bike

Worcestershire
West Mercia Police
Assault
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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14 comments

Avatar
ktache | 5 years ago
4 likes

The police spokesperson said 

"Please use your bicycles considerately and follow the rules of the Highway Code."

"You wouldn't cycle head-on into traffic, so don't cycle head-on into pedestrians."

There does happen to be large sections in the Highway code about pedestrians crossing the road, Rule 7, The green Croos Code pretty much covers it.

B Stop just before you get to the kerb, where you can see if anything is coming. Do not get too close to the traffic. If there’s no pavement, keep back from the edge of the road but make sure you can still see approaching traffic.

C Look all around for traffic and listen. Traffic could come from any direction. Listen as well, because you can sometimes hear traffic before you see it.

D If traffic is coming, let it pass. Look all around again and listen. Do not cross until there is a safe gap in the traffic and you are certain that there is plenty of time. Remember, even if traffic is a long way off, it may be approaching very quickly.

 

Also in these contraflow systems cyclists are often driving "head on into traffic"

Please note, only an advisory cycle lane, not even mandatory.

 

 

Avatar
brooksby replied to ktache | 5 years ago
1 like

ktache wrote:

Also in these contraflow systems cyclists are often driving "head on into traffic"

Please note, only an advisory cycle lane, not even mandatory.

Not sure I'd want to meet a double-decker bus coming the other way, there... 

Avatar
alansmurphy replied to ktache | 5 years ago
2 likes

ktache wrote:

The police spokesperson said 

"Please use your bicycles considerately and follow the rules of the Highway Code."

"You wouldn't cycle head-on into traffic, so don't cycle head-on into pedestrians."

 

You wouldn't drive into a person on a bike just like you wouldn't drive your car into the side of a house... Oh!

 

Avatar
burtthebike | 5 years ago
5 likes

I'm wondering how much outrage would have been generated in the gammon press if a cyclist had deliberately knocked down a pedestrian and broken their collar bone; instead of which there appears to be an eerie silence.  Prejudice much?

Avatar
stonojnr replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
0 likes
burtthebike wrote:

I'm wondering how much outrage would have been generated in the gammon press if a cyclist had deliberately knocked down a pedestrian and broken their collar bone; instead of which there appears to be an eerie silence.  Prejudice much?

You mean like this... https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/northgate-upper-brook-street-ipswich-...

Avatar
Podc replied to stonojnr | 5 years ago
0 likes
stonojnr wrote:
burtthebike wrote:

I'm wondering how much outrage would have been generated in the gammon press if a cyclist had deliberately knocked down a pedestrian and broken their collar bone; instead of which there appears to be an eerie silence.  Prejudice much?

You mean like this... https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/northgate-upper-brook-street-ipswich-...

Good flipping grief.

Avatar
brooksby replied to Podc | 5 years ago
2 likes

Podc wrote:

stonojnr wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

I'm wondering how much outrage would have been generated in the gammon press if a cyclist had deliberately knocked down a pedestrian and broken their collar bone; instead of which there appears to be an eerie silence.  Prejudice much?

You mean like this... https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/northgate-upper-brook-street-ipswich-...

Good flipping grief.

Erm, from the article:

Miss Fryer said: "I was crossing between Wilkinsons and Greggs, I saw there were no buses or cars coming so I stepped out into the road, then from nowhere this person comes flying down the street and hit me on the side of the leg.

...

The cyclist was following the contraflow system for bikes in Upper Brook Street, allowing cyclists to travel against the flow of cars and buses.

So - completely different.

Woman crossing road doesn't look both ways, cyclist perfectly legally using a contraflow system fails to avoid her.  Bit dfifferent from the cyclist deliberately riding into her or pushing her over, dontcha think?

Avatar
Podc replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
4 likes
brooksby wrote:

Podc wrote:

stonojnr wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

I'm wondering how much outrage would have been generated in the gammon press if a cyclist had deliberately knocked down a pedestrian and broken their collar bone; instead of which there appears to be an eerie silence.  Prejudice much?

You mean like this... https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/northgate-upper-brook-street-ipswich-...

Good flipping grief.

Erm, from the article:

Miss Fryer said: "I was crossing between Wilkinsons and Greggs, I saw there were no buses or cars coming so I stepped out into the road, then from nowhere this person comes flying down the street and hit me on the side of the leg.

...

The cyclist was following the contraflow system for bikes in Upper Brook Street, allowing cyclists to travel against the flow of cars and buses.

So - completely different.

Woman crossing road doesn't look both ways, cyclist perfectly legally using a contraflow system fails to avoid her.  Bit dfifferent from the cyclist deliberately riding into her or pushing her over, dontcha think?

And the Police spokesman then goes on to advise cyclists about obeying the law etc etc.

Agree though - this is a very different situation to the deliberate attack. It was the journalism and 'angle' that I found shocking in this one.

Avatar
stonojnr replied to Podc | 5 years ago
4 likes
Podc wrote:
brooksby wrote:

Podc wrote:

stonojnr wrote:

burtthebike wrote:

I'm wondering how much outrage would have been generated in the gammon press if a cyclist had deliberately knocked down a pedestrian and broken their collar bone; instead of which there appears to be an eerie silence.  Prejudice much?

You mean like this... https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/northgate-upper-brook-street-ipswich-...

Good flipping grief.

Erm, from the article:

Miss Fryer said: "I was crossing between Wilkinsons and Greggs, I saw there were no buses or cars coming so I stepped out into the road, then from nowhere this person comes flying down the street and hit me on the side of the leg.

...

The cyclist was following the contraflow system for bikes in Upper Brook Street, allowing cyclists to travel against the flow of cars and buses.

So - completely different.

Woman crossing road doesn't look both ways, cyclist perfectly legally using a contraflow system fails to avoid her.  Bit dfifferent from the cyclist deliberately riding into her or pushing her over, dontcha think?

And the Police spokesman then goes on to advise cyclists about obeying the law etc etc.

Agree though - this is a very different situation to the deliberate attack. It was the journalism and 'angle' that I found shocking in this one.

Absolutely, not suggesting it was of comparable equivalence to a deliberate attack on a cyclist,i highlighted it to show the press cant even cover a straightforward pedestrian didn't look when crossing the road thing without implying the cyclist was somehow at fault.

So what hope do we have of the press picking up these deliberate attacks on cyclists in any great detail ?

Avatar
brooksby replied to stonojnr | 5 years ago
0 likes

stonojnr wrote:

Absolutely, not suggesting it was of comparable equivalence to a deliberate attack on a cyclist,i highlighted it to show the press cant even cover a straightforward pedestrian didn't look when crossing the road thing without implying the cyclist was somehow at fault. So what hope do we have of the press picking up these deliberate attacks on cyclists in any great detail ?

Agree.  And sorry, I misunderstood the point you were making.

Avatar
burtthebike replied to stonojnr | 5 years ago
0 likes

stonojnr wrote:
burtthebike wrote:

I'm wondering how much outrage would have been generated in the gammon press if a cyclist had deliberately knocked down a pedestrian and broken their collar bone; instead of which there appears to be an eerie silence.  Prejudice much?

You mean like this... https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/northgate-upper-brook-street-ipswich-...

Yes, just like that.  And I'm sure there are hundreds of other examples.

Avatar
Tom_77 replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
0 likes

burtthebike wrote:

I'm wondering how much outrage would have been generated in the gammon press if a cyclist had deliberately knocked down a pedestrian and broken their collar bone; instead of which there appears to be an eerie silence.  Prejudice much?

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4092082/Cyclist-28-killed-Royal...

 

It's the Daily Mail, so the 2nd comment underneath the story is "Bring back hanging".

Avatar
burtthebike | 5 years ago
10 likes

Perhaps the police and road safety organisations could bulk buy vidcams for distribution free to cyclists, like they have done for lights and reflectors?

"Officers are continuing to investigate and half asked anyone......"  Maybe that's why they aren't getting much of a response.

Avatar
pockstone replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
7 likes

burtthebike wrote:

"Officers are continuing to investigate and half asked anyone......"  Maybe that's why they aren't getting much of a response.

I think that's a typo. Should read "...half assed...".

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