2008-06-11 - Rider Down, Old Street Roundabout

thanks god you've still got all your legs, Twoo!

+1 to all the get well soon replies :0)

woah.
Clearly blessed!

Hope you mend quick.

that's scary - hit from behind too - great to see your up and posting man...

Have to say, that is the thing that I am most worried about, been taken out from behind, esspecially these big wagons, saw a chap killed a couple of years back walking in front of one that was in a traffic queue, didn't see the guy walk in front of him and just went over the top, I was having a drink at the Ten Bells - Spitalfield at the time, with my new bird, she was well shaken up!

Glad you are ok fella, here's to a speedy recovery and safe journeys to you all.

I thought that Twooo might be in the Royal London Hospital which is very close to where I live. I PM'd him to see if there was anything I could do to help and he asked me to transcribe a note he has written. I met him for the first time two weeks ago at the Easties drinks. His family was at his bed side so I didn't stop to chat.

Transcription follows:

** Hello,

First of all I'd like to give a huge thanks to everyone who has sent and posted their condolencies to me over the last week. I would be on the forum more but I find the whole internet from my hospital bed a bit too cumbersome so I will wait until i come out before becoming an active member again.

For all that don't know me I had only recently become a member of the lfgss having 'graduated' up to a fixed from my MTB that I had been commuting to & fro to work on, accident free for about four years. I had been to a couple of drinks, in central & east & found everyone I met really friendly and accepting of a 'newbie'.

Anyway to cut a long story short, at about 0745 last Wednesday morning, I was heading West over Old St roundabout when a lorry travelling South hit me from behind, drove over my lower legs and stopped on top of my bike. I know this from being in the unenviable position of watching it happen.

I must be the luckiest man alive as U an sitting here in Hospital with no broken bones apart from my big toe! I do however have crush injuries to my lower leg muscles and both legs resemble a big jigsaw puzzle after extensive plastic surgery yesterday.

Flashbacks are becoming less but that is possibly because I haven't seen any roads since. I really do plan to get back into the saddle as soon as I can, but I would imagine my bike isn't going to work very well, so I'll be looking for something cheap if anyone can help........anyway, few weeks off yet.

I haven't spoken to the police yet, it should be happening in the next couple of days. By all accounts it sounds quite positive they have pretty comprehensive CCTV and two eyewitnesses, one of them a biker. I know this is quite controversial at the moment from recent threads but the driver isn't English, he is Eastern European. Does this make a difference? Who knows?

Thats all really, just thanks for all your support especially a huge drink bike of his choosing, to Casper Caspar who very kindly offered to come in to Hospital and tanscribe my shit handwriting onto the net for you. I hope to catch up with you all in a few weeks on my new steed along with a few interesting scars to show off!

Ride safe everyone

Twooo
(Rich)**

Good work, Casp.

Good to see you're on the mend twoo. re : the eastern european driver thing, i think they pose a huge threat in London, more so than UK hauliers. A friend of the family's sister got killed by one doing a left turn in Bloomsbury a few years back. You are really lucky to be alive, all the best.

If you need parts for a new build let us know.
I for one will hand over some kit to get you riding again.

and me..

I 2nd Hippy if i can help to get you on the road with bits. I've been taken away in an ambulance from getting hit from behind on old st roundabout, lucky for me the driver stopped before running over me.

Just wanna say get well soon.

mush

Any parts that have been under hippy are probably more trashed than the ones the lorry ran over :p

Yeah, true.. but bmmf has loads of spares now that he's quit cycling after his terrible defeat at the hands of the forum fatty :P

...you're gonna regret saying that. nobody beats BMMF up a hill. he must have been high or something. its just impossible.

Glad you survived the lorry twoo !!!!

Your legs must be made of iron !!!!! Get well soon.

did any witnesses see if the driver was on the phone?