Cyclist impaled by faulty protruding fence blames housing association for horror crash

A 19-year-old cyclist has blamed a local housing association for the horrific injuries he sustained after he was impaled by a garden fence which was protruding into the street.

Cole Cummings was cycling on a footpath near his home in Coatbridge last month when he collided with the fencepost, which pierced a hole through his chest. He spent a week at Monkland’s Hospital in Airdrie, before being transferred to Wishaw General for an operation on the wound.

“I was just riding my bike along Kirkshaws Road,” Cummings told the Daily Record. 

“It was a really sunny day and I didn’t see the fence sticking out. I cycled right into it and one of the fence poles went through my chest.

“It left a really deep hole in my chest. I was raced up to the hospital in an ambulance straight away.”

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Cummings says that the injuries sustained in the freak crash have resulted in him losing out on a job opportunity.

“I was working at Muller Dairy in Bellshill at the time of my accident and I was set to get a full-time job after a trial period. But now that opportunity is gone because I've had to spend weeks stuck at home recovering from the injury.”

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The teenager has criticised Clyde Valley Housing Association, which he claims neglected to carry out repairs to the fence despite previously being warned about its condition, and have allegedly failed to contact him since the incident.

“The fence leaning on to the path had already been reported to Clyde Valley, but they seemed to have no intention of fixing it,” Cummings said.

“The tenant with the collapsed fence contacted them on the day of the accident and began ranting about it. They then went out within an hour and repaired it – but I have tried to contact them myself and they have not answered a phone call or anything.”

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A spokesperson from Clyde Valley Housing Association told the Record: “We take all issues of safety very seriously, especially regarding repairs, and we are currently investigating our records to confirm the detail of any contact received regarding this issue and will report back to the tenants as appropriate.”