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Cyclist pushed by passengers in passing car suffers serious injuries

Attacked as he went on club training ride in South Yorkshire

A South Yorkshire cyclist suffered a punctured lung, two broken ribs and a broken collarbone when he was shoved off his bike by passengers in a passing car on Thursday.

Dave Scargill, 58, was training with members of Birdwell Wheelers cycling club, and was in a group of around 20 riders going at around 30mph in Hooton Pagnell, near Thurnscoe.

A group of of young men pulled up alongside him in a black Vauxhall Corsa and a passenger stretched out of the side window and, using both arms, pushed Dave from his bike.

He is now in Barnsley Hospital waiting for an operation, and his £3000 bike has been written off.

James Allen, 34, who witnessed the incident, told The Star: “Dave was in about sixth place when the car came up with these lads inside.

“I thought they were just skidding and revving their engines but then I heard a crash, looked behind me, and saw chaos.

“Dave was down on the ground. He had cuts all over him and had ripped his kit. He was in a bad way, he could barely speak. I felt terrible.”

James added that Dave was worried about having to take time off work, as he is a self-employed gas fitter.

He said: “Dave is the most dedicated, hard-working bloke. The only thing he’s worried about is his clients and whether they will be inconvenienced. I hope he rides again.”

Anyone with information about the incident at around 7pm on Thursday should call South Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 973 of August 23.

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24 comments

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dino | 12 years ago
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Who raises these kind of creatures who think it is funny to push a rider off a bike at any speed? You know we had a lot less of these little bastards when you could still be spanked in school! God speed to his recovery; I look forward to reading the story when the police meet up with the pieces of crap!

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mowatb | 12 years ago
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Attempted murder surely, I would fully expect the authorities to give this their full attention.

Get well soon Dave, I hope this all gets sorted, I know how stressful these things can be.

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LondonCalling | 12 years ago
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According to this article, one of the group DID get the car's reg number:

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/morons-south-yorkshire-cyclist-badly...

Let's hope these scumbags get what they deserve - 5 years in jail at least.  14

I heard about incidents like these before. The worst one was in Kent, around 2007. Guy pushed off his bike, ended up almost paralized from the neck down for a while. Last I read in 2009 he was recovering, but won't be able to work again (he was a roofer). He can now walk, though. Also read many letters in Cycling News from cyclists who had been victims of identical attacks.

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Bob's Bikes | 12 years ago
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Words fail me

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pmr | 12 years ago
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They are sub human scum, and presuming no one got the Reg, this is another BIG BIG reason for cameras on bikes, I see dangerous driving which borders on attempted murder almost every other ride to be honest, it has to stop.

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Psyclist | 12 years ago
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Nobody got hold of the No. plate registration??? I hope they're caught and sentenced to a good prison term. Hope most of all the man gets better and rides again.

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cborrman replied to Psyclist | 12 years ago
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Psyclist wrote:

Nobody got hold of the No. plate registration??? I hope they're caught and sentenced to a good prison term. Hope most of all the man gets better and rides again.

I take it they got the plates? everybody in the car should be an accessory to attempted murder as well...

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pepita1 | 12 years ago
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Hope there's CCTV footage.

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euanlindsay | 12 years ago
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Couple of weeks ago I got egged while doing 30mph. Got thrown from the drivers side of a car coming in the opposite direction. Spotted just in time so it missed my head and hit my chest instead. Surprisingly like getting punch and left a bruise that lasted a week. Glad I got of lightly in comparison.

I think unfortunately only as cycling has gotten more popular we are going to get more of these mindless idiots who once upon I time thought it was funny to throw eggs and stones at buses. Except they now go around in cars with the specific aim of doing damage in aid of their fun.

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OldRidgeback | 12 years ago
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There are a lot of psycho nutters out there. I even had someone try and scare me when I was on my motorbike last week by driving closer and closer and closer - until I decided to play safe and make a dodgy overtake just to put a car between me and the nutter. I think he'd thought we were racing when in fact I was just riding home.

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hairyairey | 12 years ago
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Completely agree with charging with attempted murder. This has happened before (eg a car that ran over a pedestrian then reversed back over them). Let's hope they did get the registration and the registered keeper is advised to name the passenger or be charged.

I think I'll be reading up on helmet cameras again.

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OldRidgeback | 12 years ago
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Hope some of the other riders in the group got the registration number of the car. Given the injuries, the charges wouldn't be minor. If the driver refuses to give the name of the passenger then the driver might have to take the charges.

Hope the rider recovers and the idiots in the car get a big fine.

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Flyingscotsman replied to OldRidgeback | 12 years ago
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OldRidgeback wrote:

Hope some of the other riders in the group got the registration number of the car. Given the injuries, the charges wouldn't be minor. If the driver refuses to give the name of the passenger then the driver might have to take the charges.

Hope the rider recovers and the idiots in the car get a big fine.

I hope they get a great deal more than just a fine. A lengthy spell behind bars is to good for them...

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pwake replied to Flyingscotsman | 12 years ago
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Flyingscotsman wrote:
OldRidgeback wrote:

Hope some of the other riders in the group got the registration number of the car. Given the injuries, the charges wouldn't be minor. If the driver refuses to give the name of the passenger then the driver might have to take the charges.

Hope the rider recovers and the idiots in the car get a big fine.

I hope they get a great deal more than just a fine. A lengthy spell behind bars is to good for them...

Agreed!
Anyone who takes that kind of action and isn't capable of thinking of the very serious consequences, should just be removed from the gene pool.

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Strathlubnaig | 12 years ago
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Hope the feller is okay and gets back to work and on his bike again soon.
Have not heard of this type of assault myself.
Hope it stays south of the border.

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dodgy | 12 years ago
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I hope the rider makes a full recovery, I've had my arse slapped 3 times by passengers in 3 seperate incidents while riding, sounds funny doesn't it? If you tell that story to non-cyclists, they usually laugh at first.

Anyway, why no description of the car or occupants? 20 cyclists and not one of them got the registration number? If they did, why is it not being publicised?

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Mr. Rossi | 12 years ago
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I was punched by the passenger of a white van in central London once. I had the temerity to suggest his vehicle was driving too close to me. I was pulling away from a set of lights further up the road when they drove up and he unbuckled his seat belt. I saw it coming and tipped my head down so he mainly hit my helmet and I got off lightly. He didn't though, I got their reg as they sped away so I went straight to the cops and grassed the thug up. He got a common assault charge, a 6 month suspended sentence & £500 fine.

I hope these idiots get far worse than common assault. Sounds like GHB, or worse, to me.

Get well soon, Dave.

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koko56 | 12 years ago
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Just makes me angry

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nellybuck@msn.com | 12 years ago
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A couple of kids in a Corsa tried to push me off a few months back on my commute. Fortunately I was travelling fairly slowly at the time and they didn't get a proper contact so I was able to control it and stay upright. I couldn't believe anyone would do it, so to find out it wasn't an isolated incident is quite shocking.

Hope Dave makes a speedy recovery and is back on his bike ASAP.

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mattbibbings | 12 years ago
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I read this with disbelief  13 I mean really? They thought it could be funny to push someone off at 30mph+? With any luck these are the type of losers who think it's funny to film and post their stupidity and incriminate themselves, therefore doing the polices job for them.

I hope they catch these low-lifes and that Dave makes a good recovery.

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rliu | 12 years ago
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Sub human scum are the only words that come to mind

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cidermart replied to rliu | 12 years ago
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rliu wrote:

Sub human scum are the only words that come to mind

Pretty much sums them up.

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edmiddleton | 12 years ago
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Surely if/when they're caught this is a clear cut attempted murder by the passenger?

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meloncholy replied to edmiddleton | 12 years ago
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Surely if/when they're caught this is a clear cut attempted murder by the passenger?

They'll probably claim the sun was in their eyes.

Hope Dave gets better soon - a fall at that speed does not sound fun.

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