Hampshire man pushed off shared use path and into oncoming car

A Hampshire man has said that he was pushed in front of a car by two pedestrians who apparently took issue to his cycling along a shared-use path in Shirley in Southampton.

Tavo Velez told the Daily Echo that he was cycling home from his job at Oxfam just after 6pm on Tuesday when two men confronted him on the shared path on Rownhams Lane, refusing to give him room.

Velez says that they then threw him into the road, where he was hit by a car and suffered a broken foot.

Onlookers reportedly tried to chase the men, but they got away.

A spokesman for Hampshire Police said: "The cyclist was riding along the cycle path on Rownhams Road, when it is alleged two male pedestrians, walking in the opposite direction, caused him to fall into the road. As a result, he was in a collision with a Jaguar and suffered an injury to his foot. Investigations are ongoing."

Velez said: "I don't know why anyone would do this? All I remember afterwards is that the man came over to me as I was lying on the ground and said 'you should be cycling on the road'. How can somebody say that after what he has just done?

"To be honest, I don't remember much after that, just that I was in hospital. I am so grateful for the kindness given to me in that moment.

"I really hope the police can find who did this. There were two men, I think in their forties, but only one pushed me. The road is 40 miles-per-hour I think and the car must have braked quite a lot for me to be this lucky."

He added: "I love to cycle, it keeps me fit, I don't need to go to the gym, and it's good for the environment. I won't stop."

An unnamed member of Sotonia Cycling Club who witnessed the incident observed: "The shared path is one of the few useful ones in Southampton for cyclists to keep safe as it links Rownhams and North Baddesley and vehicles often travel along the narrow lane at speeds of over 60mph. Drivers are just as likely to scream at cyclists to use the path if they dare to choose the road."