April 19th 2011 was a lovely day. I'd picked up my bike from the shop after
getting it serviced and was really looking forward to riding home. It's only 24
miles or so and although it is uphill, it's not an unpleasant ride. My partner
was going for a run with colleagues before he came home so I sent him a text to
let him know what time to expect me back then he could plan dinner for us.
We
were both training for events, he was doing an ironman, me a few sprint distance
events, and we were both looking forward to riding the c2c with a group of his
colleagues later in the year.
I set off from work around 5, it was such
a gorgeous evening, I didn't have a jacket on, just a short sleeved top, I did
have my helmet on though! Thank goodness. I've always worn one, more because I
make the children wear one, and that's because I remember a young boy in the
intensive care unit of the hospital alongside my son who had fallen from his
stationary bike and had a blood clot on his brain. I'm a cautious cyclist too.
I'm very aware of my vulnerability when I'm not surrounded by my safety features
in my car!
I was less than 2 miles from work when I was crossing a
junction and a driver who hadn't seen me turned into it. It's weird seeing a
huge bonnet coming at you knowing there isn't a thing you can do to get out of
the way. I bounced off the bonnet and hit the floor head first, hearing the
crack of my helmet as it struck the concrete made me feel sick. That could have
been my head! Thankfully the only real casualties were my bike and my helmet.
They were both broken beyond repair, I however suffered only severe bruising and
soft tissue injuries.
So, it's thanks to my helmet, the 2 district
nurses who Looked after me until the ambulance arrived and the hospital staff
and physio who fixed me. I've replaced my helmet as I have another bike and I
will NEVER ride without one!
Melinda Hewitt
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