Tuesday: Close as I ever want to come to greeting the grim reaper before my alloted time: A true "oh shit" moment.
Damp road, overcast but bright. Me wearing nodder yellow and with a Smart Lunar on the rear flashing away merrily.
Cycling down a long straight section of a national limit country with a tail wind so doing about 20-22mph.
Coming up on a right turn, with me wanting to turn right.
One car stationary ahead of me, a Focus,indicating right, waiting for oncoming traffic.
I look over my shoulder, see a single car a long, long way back and so signal and move to the offside of the lane to slot in behind the car waiting to turn right.
No problem?
Start to slow behind the right turner and suddenly hear zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Car that was "a long way back" slides past me on the wrong side of the road and hits a van coming the other way.
Both do a truly incredible explosion/spin/crunch/disassembly with a noise I cannot describe and somehow take out the stationary car in front of me.
Everything stops, silence and I am left standing in the middle of the road surrounded by bits of car.
Van is embedded in the car that was ahead of me, car that did the zzzzzzzzzzzzz thing, a Corsa, is on its side in the hedge.
Anyway, fast forward through lots of very shakey and inept first aid, lots and lots of flashing light, Police, fire brigade, ambulance etc etc and no one is seriously hurt. Minor broken bones and lots of cuts. Praise be to airbags.
PoPo took my statement and told me that the driver, who caused it all said "sorry mate, I didn't see them".
I have to confess that when I heard the "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" I very nearly shat myself.
Its almost enough to make me take up alcohol again.;
Tuesday: Close as I ever want to come to greeting the grim reaper before my alloted time: A true "oh shit" moment.
Damp road, overcast but bright. Me wearing nodder yellow and with a Smart Lunar on the rear flashing away merrily.
Cycling down a long straight section of a national limit country with a tail wind so doing about 20-22mph.
Coming up on a right turn, with me wanting to turn right.
One car stationary ahead of me, a Focus,indicating right, waiting for oncoming traffic.
I look over my shoulder, see a single car a long, long way back and so signal and move to the offside of the lane to slot in behind the car waiting to turn right.
No problem?
Start to slow behind the right turner and suddenly hear zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Car that was "a long way back" slides past me on the wrong side of the road and hits a van coming the other way.
Both do a truly incredible explosion/spin/crunch/disassembly with a noise I cannot describe and somehow take out the stationary car in front of me.
Everything stops, silence and I am left standing in the middle of the road surrounded by bits of car.
Van is embedded in the car that was ahead of me, car that did the zzzzzzzzzzzzz thing, a Corsa, is on its side in the hedge.
Anyway, fast forward through lots of very shakey and inept first aid, lots and lots of flashing light, Police, fire brigade, ambulance etc etc and no one is seriously hurt. Minor broken bones and lots of cuts. Praise be to airbags.
PoPo took my statement and told me that the driver, who caused it all said "sorry mate, I didn't see them".
I have to confess that when I heard the "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" I very nearly shat myself.
Its almost enough to make me take up alcohol again.;