Cambridge cyclist who broke both arms in crash with another rider says all road users must show respect

A Cambridge man who broke both arms and a foot while riding his bike when another cyclist crashed into him in a hit and run incident has appealed for all road users to slow down and show consideration for one another.

Simon Lee, a former soldier who served in the Balkans and who later worked in private security for VIPs, also called for the local council to improve cycle infrastructure to make the roads safer for cyclists.

He told Cambridge News: “I’ve been shot at, stoned and set on fire, but I’ve never been injured like this.

“I said to him ‘What are you doing?’ He just looked at me, picked up his bike and off he went. It’s ridiculous.

“The only time I’ve ever been injured was when I was knocked off my bike by a car or cyclist. I survived Bosnia, but not cycling in Cambridge.”

He did not report the incident, which happened on Friday 17 October near the city’s new CB1 development, to the police.

“What are they going to do? Even if they found him, he’d only got a telling off. I don’t see much point in that.

He added: “Just slow down if you’re in a car or on a bike, slow down and have some respect for each other.

“If I was an older person, it could have killed me. At least have the decency to stop and apologise.”

Mr Lee, chairman of Cambridge City Conservatives, also called on the local council to take action to improve cycle infrastructure in the city.

“We’ve got so many bright minds in Cambridge, for goodness sake get together and sort out the traffic problems,” he said. “The council should listen more to the cycling community in Cambridge.

“We need proper cycle lanes, we need proper junctions and we need action now. Nobody does anything about it - it’s always these piecemeal non-events.”

Recent incidents in which cyclists have been injured in Cambridge include one at the city’s new ‘continental’ roundabout in which a 12 year old boy was knocked off his bike.

His mother said the roundabout, aimed at making cyclists safer, actually made the situation more dangerous.