Today, myself and good friend Marc and Matt took to the roads on what was due to be a 3 or 4 hour café ride up to Ashdown Forest and back. The weather was dull and grey, but dry, and it was good to get out with friends, to catch up, to chat, to ride.
20 minutes into our route we met with an incident, Marc and Matt riding up front, two abreast with myself following, heading north on Station Road from Berwick. Between us we have over 60 years of cycling experience, safe and assertive, aware and considerate of other road users.
Station Road is a long and fairly straight B -road which crosses the railway tracks at Berwick train Station and continues on to Upper Dicker and Golden Cross. As we passed the entrance to the reservoir and continued up the hill a 4×4 motor vehicle towing a large horse box trailer suddenly appeared next to us, the vehicle was fag paper close and travelling at speed. The vehicle must have straddled across the center of the road as it suddenly made a sharp maneuver, to avoid an oncoming collision with another vehicle, steering into Matt who was struck about midway along the trailer sending him shuddering out of control into Marc…
It’s such a blur, it was so quick. I had managed to maintain control but Matt had hit the tarmac hard on his right side, his head just inches away from the wheels of the trailer, with Marc tangled in Matt’s bike striking his head as they both finally came to a halt in a crumpled mess on the floor.
The driver of the 4×4 with trailer did not stop and by the time we had realised it was too late to catch his vehicle registration or have the wherewithal to take a photograph. The driver of the oncoming vehicle had stopped, though he was edgy and unresponsive and soon left the scene mumbling about “not being able to do anything to help”, and it was left to a couple in a Silver BMW, who had witness the incident, to check that we were all OK and direct the traffic – thoughtful, responsible, caring citizens.
Ambulances soon arrived and a police car and officer to take statements and begin inquiries. Matt and Marc were taken to hospital locally, Marc with concussion and a minor ‘brain injury’ and Matt with an incredibly painful broken collar bone. Walking wounded perhaps but the thought that this could have been so much worse will not leave my thoughts.
The inconsiderate, dangerous action and callous indifference for the lives, health and well being of others, exhibited by that driver is too much for me to even contemplate, I don’t have the words to describe the way I am feeling at this present time. With this in mind, I am sure you will understand, I am cancelling the Winter Solstice 100 ride – the risk, I feel, is far greater than any rewards.
3 lives and countless others attached to us; children, partners and friends, have been affected in a way that is indefinable. No one died, but physical pain and injury has been inflicted and confidence has, for now, been lost.
Both Matt and Marc are now recovering at home.
We are human and we break so easily.
That is horrendous. I am very glad that you are all relatively ok as best as can be expected.
Hope you all make a full recovery, and by that I mean physical and mental. We unfortunately have to accept that sometimes skill and experience are just not enough and our wellbeing can depend on the state of mind of others. Cycling and motorcycling are two very good examples of this so each person has to make their own assessment of the risks V reward.
I have been close to a very similar incident in Cumbria but still see this as a relatively rare occurrence. The attitude of the drivers who left or did not stop is appalling and upsetting. I can understand how that will compound any physical injury. I am sure that the ‘war on the roads’ attitudes recently highlighted are a big part of the problem. To conduct a war you must first dehumanise the opposition. In doing so it becomes possible to not consider the risk you put others, like cyclists, under. It is unforgivable to get behind the wheel of a dangerous machine in this state of mind. I do not believe most drivers do but that does not help those who have to share the roads with them.
Eventually I hope you are able to see the rewards eclipse the risk but only you can decide this. Best of luck and a speedy recovery to you all.
Very sorry to read this. What sods
Awful. Hope you all recover soon. Any hope the police investigation will turn anything up?
Sorry to hear of this horrible incident. You were the victims of almost murderously bad driving. We shouldn’t have to but try not to ride two abreast except on the quietest country “lanes” now. It just isn’t safe to do so.
Sorry to read this Mark and hope you and your buddies are recovering. You make a good case for buying a GoPro and never leaving home without it! People pulling trailers worry the life out of me, many of them seem to make no allowance for what they’re hauling behind them, often at stupid speeds. Just saw a picture of Matt’s lid – compulsory or not, why would you ride without one?
Just heard about this this evening at TLS whilst having my massage. May I suggest you ask the police to contact Judi Piper-Dadswell at her yard Blackberry Farm, Poundfield Road, Chalvington (just one mile from the incident) as I believe she was holding a show jumping clinic there on Sunday and the perpetrator might possibly have been one of the attendees. Only a possibility but worth enquiring.
There was an event that day in Berwick http://www.berwickponyclub.org.au/attachments/article/16/BPC%20Christmas%20Gymkhana%20Program.pdf
Hi, was the 4×4 a silver Shogun or Landcruiser?
We had a very close call in the autumn with a big silver 4×4 and trailer/horsebox on the road to East Grinstead from Tunbridge Wells.
No one hit but very similar passing incident and not so far apart.
I am pretty sure it was towing a horse box, also silver or white with no signwriting.
Thank you all for your comments. Every possible lead is being followed up but if you were out and about at that time and in that area please do pass any information on to Sussex Police (phone 101).
We are grateful for all of the support and help – Matt is still in a lot of pain with his collar bone and Marc has recovered well – in his words “just trying to put it all in a box now”.
I’ll update the post if we have any further news.
Thanks
Mark