latest hit and run.....

guilliano

sorry about the lack of capitals, i have just gotten home from hospital after being hit by a car on my way home from work. 1 mile from home, braking for a roundabout (bunkers lane, leighton buzzard) a car was waiting for me to go straight over, another one heading straight over in the opposite direction to me so i commited and went. As i got onto the roundabout the silver astra (now with added passenger side damage) turned right across me without indicating and i slammed into it at somewhere around 15-20 miles per hour. i have no idea how my bike is, it is at a witnesses house, but i am very sore all over, especially my lower back and i have torn ligaments in my shoulder. needless to say the driver screeched off (had to manoeuvre round the cyclist lying in agony in the road) and sped off into a maze of a housing estate.

Cleat Eastwood

Hope you're okdude. Have you reported it to the police. Its a criminal offence to leave teh scene of an accident.

guilliano

witness called both ambulance and police, who took a very brief statement from me while i was strapped to a spinal board in the ambulance. i'm sure i'll recover, but want to know how my bike is. i had a nice 70 miler planned for tomorrow too.

Frank the tank

Sorry to hear of your misfortune and that you'll soon be up and about.

Hope they get the scrote, a real sh1thouse. :evil:

Crapaud

That's shite, guilliano. Still, only torn ligaments - it could have been worse at that impact speed.

Did they give you an estimate of recovery time, or is it too early?

GWS

guilliano

too early as not sure how bad the damage to back muscles and shoulder is. all i know is that at the moment i hurt a lot!

skyd0g

Sorry to hear that guilliano, hope you're feeling better soon and your bike isn't too damaged.

Frank the tank

Funny isn't it all cyclists when they come off their bike (however way) initially are concerned for the wellbeing of their bikes. THEN they think, ouch! hold on I can't move my arm, neck, head or whatever. :? 'cos basically were all bloody daft.

dilemna

Jeese. Don't worry about your bike or your 70 mile ride tomorrow. I have a feeling you won't be doing it. Just try to do everything to make sure you heal 100% as you really DO NOT want any recurring symptoms in the back, neck or anywhere else departments. Even if you do eventually get compensation it won't make up for any pains that linger. So get well soon. Everything else can be dealt with later. Sounds like your witness was your guardian angel. The police might yet catch the driver.

guilliano

i hope they do catch the driver, mainly as i want any damage to my bike paid for! in a way i should be thankful it happened now.... if it had happened in 5 months i wouldn't be in a position to hold my newborn kiddie. have only just this morning managed to get out of my riding gear (which survived intact). think my helmet is no longer with us though. r.i.p.

deptfordmarmoset

Very sorry to hear that, guilliano. I hope your body mends and that your witness, who appears to be local, is able to help identify the driver's vehicle. Good rest and recovery and good luck too with the criminal hunting.

ex-pat scot

You might not think it, but I believe you've been very lucky indeed.

The stiffness will take a fair while to subside. Make sure you get yourself to GP (who may well refer you to physio for some gentle treatment).

If you have private medical cover, then make sure you get referred ASAP.

Keep a note of all costs, appointments, missed events, damaged kit.

Good luck finding the hit-n-run. It's an offence to leave the scene of an accident. The driver is in deep doo-doo if they identify him.

bompington

Sorry to hear about it & hope you're all sorted soon.


BUT...

I'm afraid that someone has to say this:
if you went on to a roundabout and went into the side of a car that was already on it, you're in the wrong according to the highway code:

185
When reaching the roundabout you should

•give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights
•check whether road markings allow you to enter the roundabout without giving way. If so, proceed, but still look to the right before joining
•watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all
•look forward before moving off to make sure traffic in front has moved off

guilliano

might sound silly, but i want to get a thank-you for the couple who tended to me and took my bike in last night. what do you buy for someone in such circumstances?

Cleat Eastwood

Chocolates,wine, tokens, something they could share. Its a nice gesture.

Dog Breath

bompington wrote:

BUT...

I'm afraid that someone has to say this:
if you went on to a roundabout and went into the side of a car that was already on it, you're in the wrong according to the highway code:

If I'm reading the original post correctly, if he hit the right hand side of the vehicle, then that vehicle must have come from his left, meaning that Guilliano was already on the roundabout and had right of way.

guilliano

I hit the passenger (left) side because it turned right without indicating whilst I was heading straight over. All witnesses said that they thought the car was going straight over the roundabout to go up the hill I had just come down.

bompington

Dog Breath wrote:

bompington wrote:

BUT...

I'm afraid that someone has to say this:
if you went on to a roundabout and went into the side of a car that was already on it, you're in the wrong according to the highway code:

If I'm reading the original post correctly, if he hit the right hand side of the vehicle, then that vehicle must have come from his left, meaning that Guilliano was already on the roundabout and had right of way.

If I've got it wrong I apologise, but I'm going by "turned right across me" i.e. the car was on the roundabout and turning right when guilliano went into the side of it

Guilliano - if I'm wrong please explain and I'll happily contribute to the flower fund!

Ben6899

I'm glad to hear you're okay mate and hopefully your bike will be when you get to it.

Am I right in thinking the car you hit was on the roundabout before you were? If this is the case, then as bompington said: it may well be deemed to be your fault regardless of whether or not the driver was indicating.

I'm not finding holes or having a go here, just trying to picture what happened. Is it a small roundabout? Where exactly was the car when you entered the roundabout?

guilliano

It is a mini roundabout with a junction to the left as I approached.

Car waiting to come out of the junction gave way to the right (me)

Car approaching from the bottom of the hill (the one that i hit) got onto the roundabout at the same time as me. As we were going in opposite directions (seemingly) it was no different to passing traffic in the opposite direction on a normal stretch of road.

The car then (having thrown me into the road to my left) stopped, manoeuvred around me and sped off.

Ben6899

I thought it might be a mini roundabout... makes more sense now. Make sure those witnesses will testify to the lack of signalling.

Heal quick!

Sirius631

guilliano wrote:

It is a mini roundabout with a junction to the left as I approached.

Car waiting to come out of the junction gave way to the right (me)

Car approaching from the bottom of the hill (the one that i hit) got onto the roundabout at the same time as me. As we were going in opposite directions (seemingly) it was no different to passing traffic in the opposite direction on a normal stretch of road.

The car then (having thrown me into the road to my left) stopped, manoeuvred around me and sped off.

If you entered the mini roundabout at the same time as the car, the car must have short-cut across the center of the roundabout to get in front of you in such a way that you hit their left door. Have I got this right?

morstar

I must admit I took a while to get to grips with this but basically the car was using psychic indicators.

Alarmingly common these days and a menace when you're in a metal box let alone on a bike.

I hope you heal up well and quickly. Glad you hit their side and weren't a split second earlier.

benno68

Get well soon mate.

If the driver isn't traced, you may still have a claim.

I'm way out of date regarding insurance claims but the Motor Insurers' Bureau operated an "Untraced Driver's Agreement" many years ago, it was a fund available to compensate victims for injuries suffered, I don't think it covered property damage.

Just Googled it and here's a link to the MiB website which maybe of interest - dunno if you need to consult a solicitor.

http://www.mib.org.uk/Customer+Services/en/Accidents+in+the+UK/Untraced+Drivers+Agreement/Untraced+Driver+FAQs.htm

Hope this helps.

Pross

Lack of indicating may not mean it's the cars fault but the failure to stop would suggest they either felt it was their fault or had something to hide (no insurance, MOT, licence etc. at a guess). Also, if they crossed the central painted marking then they have broken the law as well as it's an offence to cross it unless physically impossible not to - something not many drivers realise!

Hope you recover soon and that the bike isn't too bad although that's far less important.

guilliano

well i've now been signed off work for a week. no idea if this will be long enough as all the hospital did was x-ray the shoulder to confirm no breaks, but what other damage there is i don't know. it's bloody agony whenever i move at the moment though

guilliano

Well providing I can walk properly tomorrow I can go and get my bike back. I'm scared as to what state I'll find it in.

Have been in touch with the policeman who attended the crash and he says they have not yet traced the car, but has made a note of my injuries (I have a record of this as it was done by email).

skyd0g

I had a feeling you'd be aching like a basket today, but didn't like to say (in advance). At least there's no breaks.

It would prob be worth taking pics of you and your bike for future reference, just in case they catch the scrote (or even if they don't). At least you don't have the Cote de Laffrey to face tomorrow.

Sirius631

Hope you get over the pain soon, Guilliano.

Still trying to grasp the incident. I asked before wether the car short-cut the roundabout. It is the only way I can see that they managed to take you off with you hitting their passenger door when you entered the roundabout at the same time.

guilliano

I can't be sure if the car cut the roundabout or not. I guess from the position I ended up in it must have, and I think it was the passenger side front wing I hit. I can't see any other way I could end up being 20 feet up the road that had been to my left other than by going over the bonnet and hitting the windscreen, in which case I was halfway through the roundabout when the crash occurred.

Judging by the pain in my neck now, and the fact the paramedic pointed out my helmet was no good to me now (not seen that since the incident either) I must have had a head impact as well and am definitely a lucky boy that it wasn't much more serious regardless of where fault lies. Thank-you Specialized for making good helmets.

guinea

Neck pain is normal.

I've had a couple of big offs when I've bashed my head - on both occaisions I got a stiff neck the next day.