Police have appealed for information and witnesses to a callous hit and run that left a 34-year-old office worker in the gutter with broken bones.
The driver of a blue Volkswagen drove away after knocking the man off his bike in Slough, Berkshire last month. Despite gut-wrenching video footage from the rider’s handlebars, police have been unable to trace the driver involved in the hit-and-run crash.
Patrick Knetemann, 34 was riding along in Langley Park Road, Iver, at 4.30pm on June 14, when a black VW crossed from the opposite lane and hit him.
The impact threw him from his bike into the car’s windscreen, which shattered from the force of the collision.
Knetemann was thrown to pavement as the driver left. An off-duty paramedic happened to be on the scene and looked after him until he could be taken to Wexham Park Hospital.
Amazingly, Knetemann only sustained bruises and fractures. His bike was not so lucky; after being flung through the air it landed behind the car with the fork snapped just below the crown.
Knetemann said: "He came out of nowhere. The impact was so quick I had no time to stop.
"I hit the windscreen with my shoulder and it shattered straight away – that shows how fast and hard he hit me.
"I think he was turning right to go into the Kwik Fit garage and didn't see me.
"But I had a light on my bike, and I was wearing a bright red helmet.
"After one or two seconds he sped off leaving my there on the pavement."
According to ITV, Thames Valley Police says it is investigating the hit-and-run. A spokesman was unable to say if officers had yet spoken to the driver.
Patrick Knetemann said police officers had told him the number plates on the car that hit him were false.
The driver of the Volkswagen Golf is described as white, of thin build, with very short brown hair, aged in his twenties and he was wearing a white t-shirt.
Investigating officer PC Richard Jeffcoate, from Taplow police station, said: "I am appealing for any witnesses or anyone with any information about this collision to contact police.
"The cyclist had footage from a camera mounted on his bicycle showing the incident and enquiries are currently being carried out by officers in relation to this.
"If you know who the driver is or if you were driver of the car please contact me via the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101 quoting URN 1139 14/6."
-1024x680.jpg "“Clear anti-cyclist bias”: Lawsuit filed against Toronto police after cop doored cyclist… before ticketing rider over incident")
45 thoughts on “Video: What’s it like to be hit head-on by a car? Police seek driver for this attack”
Mark Treasure said this on
Mark Treasure said this on Twitter:
Hi to you all out there. This
Hi to you all out there. This car surely cannot be that difficult to trace,even if the registration is a false one the car will need a new windscreen and there cannot be that many places that could be used to fit a new screen.
Black VW’s are ten a penny but dark blue are not.
Even if the driver and or owner laid low for a while and then ventured out for a replacement it would need ordering and an appointment made to have it fitted.
The car will almost certainly have sustained body damage that will need repairing.
Nasty footage. I really
Nasty footage. I really think I should get myself a camera…
Just before the headless chickens arrive… the driver made a simple mistake. He either didn’t look properly, or he looked and misjudged the speed of the cyclist (happens a lot). Glad the rider is OK, and hopefully they’ll track down the driver soon.
Gizmo_ wrote:Nasty footage.
Am I missing the irony in your post ? Hit and run is acceptable behaviour is it ?
Gizmo_ wrote:Just before the
There’s not much “simple mistake” in speeding off after 2 seconds and leaving an injured human being (the extent of those injuries unknown to you) on the pavement. The actual collision could be written off as misjudgement – one that should have you needing to sit a re-test, in my opinion – but leaving the scene is a serious and conscious crime of commission.
Gizmo_ wrote:Nasty footage.
Simple mistake? The collision may not have been intentional, but the cowardly bastard drove off and it seems that he didn’t report the incident. And he left a cyclist who could have been seriously injured or dead.
So he’s committed at least two serious offences. And he cannot possibly be unaware of the collision, because he braked and must have reversed before driving-off with a shattered windscreen.
So who’s the headless chicken now?
So the MIB say the vehicle is
So the MIB say the vehicle is uninsured. So there’s the motive for the driver driving-off.
It’s likely that the vehicle was booked in at the garage for some work. Which seems peculiar for a vehicle using false plates. If it were stolen, why not steal another one?
I suspect that if PLOD were to get off their arses and do what they’re supposed to do, that they’d find that the vehicle is in regular use, that any ‘alibi’ provided by the driver was false and that they’ve actually got a case of attempting to pervert the course of justice; plus driving uninsured, driving off after an accident; failing to report an accident involving bodily injury and property damage.
They should throw the book at the driver.
——
Perhaps the Police should read their own vehicle collision investigation manual.
Recumbenteer wrote:Perhaps
:)) =)) :/
Would be nice, wouldn’t it?
For the number plate – if you
For the number plate – if you are going to use false ones then you find a vehicle and clone it….much less likely to be quizzed if you get stopped for something else… So maybe not odd at all. This used to happen all the time with the London congestion zone.
zanf wrote:
Mark Treasure
That is “a bit odd” indeed. :W
Okay, fair point.
Looks like the corrupt
Looks like the corrupt useless fucking fluorescent plod are looking for excuses already
All to ready to hand out dubious faked offence 50 pound penalty tickets though
morons
Rich71 wrote:Looks like the
I think thats somewhat harsh, if the number plate was false the car was more than likely stolen, the fact the driver pissed off clearly suggests something wasn’t right.
It’s a bloody scary video that’s for sure, so pleased the guy is OK, it just highlights how quickly horrible accidents like this can happen, sickens me.
Rich71 wrote:Looks like the
I think you get more than a £50 fine for criminal damage to a car 🙁
Because if the Slough Police are as useless as my local Police then the cyclist will probably get done X(
After TdF euphoria, back to
:O After TdF euphoria, back to reality.
Sorry mate, i didn’t see you
Sorry mate, i didn’t see you (bouncing off my windscreen)….
Time for the law to get serious when they catch this scumbag driver and throw the book. If drivers start to think they can get away with this type of action, there’ no knowing where it will end.
Glad that Mr Knetemann wasn’t more seriously injured and I’ve got some T-cut knocking around to help getting the bike to working order. 8}
Gizmo wins goon of the day
Gizmo wins goon of the day award, waaahay!
Absolutely shocking!
I think
Absolutely shocking!
I think the cyclist is being very charitable to believe the driver was trying to turn into the garage. If you look at its trajectory, it was not turning into the garage but heading straight for the cyclist once it got over to the over side of the road.
Kadenz wrote:Absolutely
No, it was indicating to turn into the garage, that’s quite clear. It wasn’t malicious, just a very bad judgement by the driver.
A bitch move driving off though, what a prick.
I think my next bike related
I think my next bike related investment will be a bike camera. Maybe Road.cc could do a review of what’s in offer.
😐
Hit and run seems to be a
Hit and run seems to be a growing problem for all kinds of incidents. At the root of it, is the surprisingly large number of drivers who either have no license, are uninsured (still around one in ten in London) or are driving whilst banned.
Although there is some tendency towards hyperbole when we talk about driving bans, I think a hit and run is absolutely a case where the person responsible should never drive again. Failing to stop and help someone after an accident will significantly increase the risk of severe injuries or death.
Whatever the cause of any incident, failing to stop is a deliberate choice, and deserving of severe punishment.
This is a video of an old
This is a video of an old incident, but it’s a good reminder of just how lacking the law is over hit and run. The drivers reaction when confronted is shocking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-4TYhkx1CU
Punishment for the driver
£500 compensation to the victim.
200 hours community service.
2 year driving ban
There are many others that are even more lenient.
The vehicle is however
The vehicle is however showing as uninsured on the askmid website.
http://www.askmid.com
So on the premise that the
So on the premise that the car really was going into Kwikfit, do they have any details of callers about tyres or exhausts for a 2002 Golf for that day?
Shocking.
I hope Karma does
Shocking.
I hope Karma does exist and the driver befalls some really nasty fate.
Even if it was a real accident rather than a deliberate act, running off is the lowest of the lows.
Even if the police can’t
Even if the police can’t trace it from the fake plates surely this is serious enough to warrant them making a handful of phone calls to Autoglass and Partco to see who ordered a new windscreen for a Golf that day?
kevinmorice wrote:Even if the
It’s a 12 year old golf with dodgy plates, it’ll be found burnt out or abandoned somewhere in a few days.
Best chance of finding the driver, is if this story gets enough news coverage that someone recognises it, or has seen the damage before the driver got rid of it.
kevinmorice wrote:Even if the
You don’t need Autoglass to replace screen/window. Years ago my windscreen was put in. My mechanic picked one up from the scrappy and fitted it himself. It’s dead easy. So if the guy was going around uninsured etc it’s more than likely they had suspect mechanics they could turn to to sort out various bodywork problems.
I just new what was going to
I just new what was going to happen. Couldn’t watch the slow motion re-run.
Some one must know this car, the driver, who uses it, where it lives, even if it’s showing false plates.
When I was hit and run the plod did absolutely fuck all. They won’t trace this driver if the car is on false plates.
Can we get this video going viral? Facebook and Twitter post in as many places as possible. I bet the car has been stashed in a lock up garage for a bit or gone to a dodgy body repair place as it will have frontal damage as well as a smashed windscreen.
Best thing Patrick Knetemann can do is contact a PI solicitor or British Cycling’s solicitors if he is a member and get the ball rolling for a claim against the Motor Insurance Bureau. He’s so lucky not to be dead. I bet he has very very very bad whiplash and a headache. Who says helmets don’t save lives?
Oh, ye gods someone just *had
Oh, ye gods someone just *had to* bring out the H word and roll out that tired “Who says they don’t save lives?” canard…
Paul J wrote:Oh, ye gods
And what is your point, exactly?
Years ago, a mate and I were cycling around the NL/DE border. We noticed that few locals wore “the H word”. My mate had a bad fall and hit his head, so we got him to Groningen hospital where he was examined and found to be OK. But the doctor asked him if he was wearing a “H word”. When my mate said he was, he was told “I thought so…we get a lot of head injuries here”.
Seems like the Dutch aren’t immune to falling off their bikes.
Here’s a little extra detail
Here’s a little extra detail from the local newspaper, which includes a limited description of the driver –
“The driver of the Volkswagen Golf is described as white, of thin build, with very short brown hair, aged in his twenties and he was wearing a white t-shirt.”
http://www.sloughexpress.co.uk/News/All-Areas/Slough/Police-appeal-for-information-over-cyclist-hit-and-run-08072014.htm
Reading this story in the
Reading this story in the ‘mainstream’ press, can’t believe how many commenters are ignoring the point entirely and still harping on about “cyclists should be taxed and insured…”etc etc, as though somehow this was the cyclists fault.
God help us.
It is exceptionally bad
It is exceptionally bad driving. Thankfully things like this are very rare indeed.
Beaufort wrote:It is
I don’t actually think it is exceptionally bad driving, but exceptionally bad consequences. Driving without indicating/indicating late is pretty standard. Failing to see a cyclist in plain view is pretty standard. It is certainly bad driving, it’s just standards of driving are pretty low.
Problem is that, certainly in areas where cycling is less common, you could do this 99+% of the time and nothing would happen. And people take the lack of incidence as evidence that their driving is okay. Doing something stupid without consequence is not evidence that it’s not stupid.
It also means when things go wrong there is a tendency to blame the cyclist. After all, you normally drive like that, so if you hit a cyclist, the difference must be the cyclist, right?
The garage forecourt is used
The garage forecourt is used as a cut through so may be why the car was going that way.
Huckandcrash wrote:The garage
Google streetview link if anyone wants to take a look – https://www.google.com/maps/@51.518998,-0.524941,3a,75y,234.99h,70.98t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sD6HCdTgsSSWJ28ztGWPEgw!2e0!6m1!1e1
I’m not really sure what the car was doing, it looks like it’s at the wrong angle to turn in.
If the police cannot trace
If the police cannot trace this car then they should be ashamed of themselves. But then it was only a cyclist involved in a hit and run and their resources would probably be better spent protecting real people.
strange…a quick check on
strange…a quick check on DVLA with the number plate shows up the car…something fishy here!
Going by the date of the MOT looks like the driver was trying to get the MOT done.
✔ Taxed
Expires: 01 January 2015
✔ MOT
Expires: 19 July 2014
Vehicle excise duty
Vehicle excise duty rate for vehicle
6 Month rate
£79.75
12 Month rate
£145.00
Vehicle details
Vehicle make :VOLKSWAGEN
Date of first registration :19 July 2002
Year of manufacture :2002
Cylinder capacity (cc) :1896cc
CO₂Emissions :146 g/km
Fuel type :HEAVY OIL
Tax class :DIESEL CAR
Export marker : No
Vehicle status : Tax not due
Vehicle colour :BLUE
Vehicle type approval :M1
^ That won’t be the *actual*
^ That won’t be the *actual* car involved though, just a near-identical one whose plates have been cloned. That’s the whole point, you won’t get very far if you try and pass off a blue diesel Golf as a red petrol Astra…
Having watched the video, it doesn’t appear to be malicious, the vehicle is indicating to turn into the garage, so I’m assuming just a classic, but very unfortunate case of SMIDSY. If the plates were false then the driver presumably has all manner of other motoring offences to his name, hence not stopping.
Can’t believe how high up in the air the camera seems to go either, not sure what it’s actually still attached to at that point.
Truffy: The dutch aren’t
Truffy: The dutch aren’t immune indeed, and yet cyclists there have far fewer head injuries than here. Also, something like half, or just over a half, of dutch cyclist deaths are old people, e.g. falling over with heart attacks and what not. Now, even without adjusting for age, NL has much better cyclist death rates than the UK. Once you adjust for the fact NL has many many more old duffers riding their bicycles till they pop their clogs, the dutch rates are even better.
Clearly then the much higher rate of helmet wearing in the UK is, in the greater scheme of things, just *NOT* doing much to help the safety of cyclists here. Clearly, if safety *really* were the goal, then this strategy of relying on helmets is just full of fail. So it’s frankly bizarre how so many in the UK cycling community are always *so* eager to trot out the “lucky he was wearing a helmet!” type lines at any opportunity.
Often these commentators come armed with some anecdote about a friend, because as we all know, anecdotes and “common sense” beat nation-level statistics. This friend will have been wearing a helmet, which of course broke in two and so it must have saved them!
(Follow the gourd! Follow the gourd!).
Anyway, it’s just amazing how much of a religion helmets are to UK cyclists – the blind faith people invest in them.
Here’s another anecdote: I was run over by a car pretty much exactly like in this video. I was doing 30 km/h odd and they turned right without looking and drove into me. I dented their wing, bounced off their bonnet and went onto the ground. I wasn’t wearing a helmet. I was OK, other than a sore ankle.
Paul J wrote:Truffy: The
I’m curious – what’s the average bike speeds, road types, bike types, degree of segregation, average road speed, road traffic density, road traffic accident rates by type, average rider age, accident locale analysis and so on. If one country is held up to be a cycling Nirvana and the other is slated by those who ride in it there might be a difference. Whilst there will be some useful conclusions to be gained by the Dutch statistics, i’d guess it won’t be as clear-cut as you seem to suggest.
Sorry, meant to add – i’d imagine a sizeable proportion of the injuires a helmet might protect you from (laceration and bruising) are not part of the statistics, they are typically not reported here in the UK by anyone but i’ll have to look at the Dutch ones more – they might be better defined.
fukawitride: I’ve no idea
fukawitride: I’ve no idea about average speeds. It’s possible the dutch are slightly slower, because there’s a massive cohort of “normal cyclists” in the Netherlands who are missing over here.
As for the other factors, yes, clearly there is something different about the Netherlands, given that they achieve much better safety for cyclists than the UK does, without obsessing over helmets.
That’s the point!
Paul J wrote:fukawitride:
Indeed – completely agree with that. I just didn’t want it to get into another statistics war without being reasonable about assumptions and so on.
All bad, sad and very wrong
All bad, sad and very wrong but not what I was expecting to see and read after the headline used ‘attack’.
Sensationalist and not representative of the facts imho.
What a cowardly phlucking
What a cowardly phlucking klunt….I think my next bike-related purchase should be a Bazooka.
P.R.
[[[[[ And by the way, there’s nothing in the story that says the cyclist’s head hit anything at all, so kindly keep your “helmet saved his life” nonsense to yourself.