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Epsom cyclist appeals for help in tracing driver who left him with six broken ribs road.cc news

Epsom cyclist appeals for help in tracing driver who left him with six broken ribs

Rider faces big repair bill as insurers refuse to pay out unless driver identified
by Simon_MacMichael
Fri, Jan 20, 2012 09:41
13

A cyclist from Epsom who suffered six broken ribs in a hit and run incident earlier this month is appealing for help in tracing the driver of the car involved, which is believed to be a black Ford Focus.

Craig Hughes, aged 24, was thrown from his bike when he was struck by the car as he negotiated a roundabout on Kiln Lane close to a Sainsbury’s supermarket, reports the Epsom Guardian.

The cyclist, who works at a local pharmaceutical company, said: "I was on the roundabout and had right of way and the woman was joining the roundabout and I think she didn’t see me but was looking at the car behind me.

"She basically took out the back of my bike and made very strong contact with the back forks in the wheel.

"I was knocked off my bike and I have had six ribs broken, a bit of whiplash and scrapes and bruises."

He added that witnesses had seen the driver stop briefly approximately ten metres from the point where he was hit and then drive away.

Mr Hughes say witnesses saw the driver, of what he thinks was a black Ford Focus, stop momentarily 10 metres from the incident, before driving off.

Mr Hughes had only had his bike, which cost £1,000 for a week, but faces a repair bill totalling hundreds of pounds as a result of damage to his rear wheel and the frame.

From the newspapaer report it appears that Mr Hughes needs to trace the driver so he can claim against her insurance, with the Epsom Guardian saying he "cannot claim through insurance as the driver has failed to come forward."

"The initial thought was 'how unlucky can you be',” he reflected.

"At the time I was probably more worried about my bike than myself.

"I know the risks of riding my bike.

"I commute every day to work and I take every safety precaution.

"If the person had stopped and showed some remorse I would have been fine with it but the fact that she drove off and didn’t really care, I’m pretty hacked off about to be honest."

Besides the damage to the bike, identifying the driver involved would also presumably help Mr Hughes pursue a possible claim for personal injury.

The newspaper did not report what action, if any, the police have taken in connection with the incident.
 

injured cyclist
Epsom
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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13 comments

Avatar
Bob's Bikes | 12 years ago
0 likes

I wear a helmet camera now in the hope that if I do get hit by an idiot (sorry car/van driver) it will catch the No. plate and their subsequent actions ie driving away.

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yenrod | 12 years ago
0 likes

I stay down now, IF i crash - UNLESS my life is is danger!

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workhard | 12 years ago
0 likes

Cyclists need to learn to act like footballers. The meerest hint of contact, you go down, and you stay down until the emergency services arrive. Then you make a miraculous recovery, unlikely if you've been offed, and the twunt in the car gets dealt with by Inspector Knacker. Call them yourself if need be, and, if awake make a note of the car make model and reg immediately. Get witness names whilst writhing in agony. (Which will most likely be real)

And this fella needs to contact the MIB.

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Ush | 12 years ago
0 likes

What's the name of the insurers? I think they deserve some publicity.

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Simon_MacMichael replied to Ush | 12 years ago
0 likes
Ush wrote:

What's the name of the insurers? I think they deserve some publicity.

It doesn't appear there is one - just went back to teh source article and at a guess the cyclist is uninsured (for this type of damage), hence the reason he needs to trace the driver so he can put in a claim against her.

Sorry for any confusion there, I've rephrased article to make it clear.

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JonD | 12 years ago
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Not just cyclists. I was clipped whilst filtering on the motorbike some years ago - fortunately I'd seen her reverse out of her drive to sit in the back of a lights queue. She'd obviously got bored by the time I'd reached her, pulling out to enter a nearby sideroad and effed off. Local nick couldn't give a toss: 'if you know here they live then go and see them'. 2

(I did - hobbling with a very bruised foot - just as well I had m/c boots on ! - and got her to pay the scuffed engine casing/bent footpeg hanger - about 180 quid altogether)

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Simon_MacMichael replied to JonD | 12 years ago
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JonD wrote:

Local nick couldn't give a toss: 'if you know here they live then go and see them'.

13

They want to be careful who they give *that* advice to...

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La Brisa Fresca | 12 years ago
0 likes

The police couldnt give a hoot about cyclists. My son was knocked off his bike and the driver then got out and had a go at him for scratching his car !!! In front of witnesses outside a school ! Result - Driver got off .........police investigation was pathetic.. excuse... not enough police....constable was always off when we tried to find out what was happening.

Hope you get your justice....get these idiots off OUR roads.

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OldRidgeback | 12 years ago
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Leaving the scene of an accident is quite a serious offence. It's worth at least three penalty points, which perhaps the serving officers here can verify/correct. And that's without factoring in causing the incident, which sounds like driving without due care and attention at least, another 3-6 points I'd assume. I'm curious what action the police are taking in trying to trace the driver. If the witnesses had taken the registration no, tracking the driver would be easy so I assume this wasn't done.

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FatAndFurious | 12 years ago
0 likes

Agree with SevenHills here.

Can anyone name and shame the insurer?

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Darkerside | 12 years ago
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Surely this is exactly the kind of thing the Motor Insurers Bureau's untraced drivers agreement is for?

http://www.mib.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/CF78D433-D453-4AB5-9DCA-10C00538CBBC/...

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SevenHills | 12 years ago
0 likes

I think he needs to change his insurer!
Why is he having to supply the identity of the driver to make a claim?
Surely his insurer should pay out and claim the money back of the driver's insurer when the pond life that failed to even check he was OK has been identified by the Police.
Isn't that what the Police are supposed to do? Investigate a crime and gather evidence for a possible prosecution.

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wyadvd replied to SevenHills | 12 years ago
0 likes
SevenHills wrote:

I think he needs to change his insurer!
Why is he having to supply the identity of the driver to make a claim?
Surely his insurer should pay out and claim the money back of the driver's insurer when the pond life that failed to even check he was OK has been identified by the Police.
Isn't that what the Police are supposed to do? Investigate a crime and gather evidence for a possible prosecution.

because he wishes to claim on the car driver's insurance, her being the liable party! Not many cyclists have insurance, and those that do , normally have the type that covers their liability, not damage to their bike!

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