Police are investigating after a cyclist suffered a concussion and head and back injuries having fallen victim to a cord tied across a cycle path between Gowerton and Killay, near Swansea.
Wales Online reports that another cyclist, Adrian Critten, saw David Stacey lying on the ground near Oakwood Drive on his way home from work at around 5.40pm on Tuesday.
“I have come across a litter bin on part of the path in the past and pulled it aside thinking it was just kids mucking about, but seeing this cord being pulled across causes a huge amount of concern.
“The ride at that point is a bit tricky and there’s a sharp dip where you have to maintain speed, you’re thinking a lot at that point about control and your speed, there’s a lot of things going on in your mind so to have that in front of you is crazy.
“It is ridiculous and very dangerous. I just hope it’s kids and not part of a campaign like last year when someone put tacks along the path. It would be better if it was a one-off.”
Stacey said: “I remember something forcing me off my bike around neck to head height. I didn’t see it coming at all. I thought there was nothing in front of me and I didn’t see anything.
“When I came to, two or three people were helping me as we waited for police and the ambulance. I was taken to Morriston Hospital and I was diagnosed with a concussion and stayed there overnight and discharged at 11am this morning.
“It must have knocked me out cold. I’m just glad I had a helmet on. There was a big dent in it, and the consultant said if I did not have it on it could have been a really serious incident.”
A spokesman said that South Wales Police was investigating.
“Enquiries are ongoing, and officers are working with local partners to investigate and identify those responsible. Cyclists in the area advised to be vigilant and to report anything suspicious.”
Stacey added: “If somebody knows anything I’d encourage them to come forward. I don’t know if people were doing this for bedevilment but they need to realise how dangerous it could have been.”
Anyone with information should contact 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting occurrence 1800202617.
Last week we reported how a cyclist hit his head on a rock after wires were strung across a cycle trail in a country park near the New Forest.
The incident occurred exactly three years after a similar one we reported on at the same location.
17 thoughts on “Cyclist suffers concussion after being caught by cord strung across Swansea cycle path”
Hope he recovers quickly and
Hope he recovers quickly and fully.
They should get the terrorist police onto this as this is clearly a terrorist attack against cyclists. Alternatively, we’ll let LegsEleven start frothing at the mouth.
I’m not going to mention the consultant.
This isn’t just normal
This isn’t just normal vandalism and hoodluming, this is using traps to murder and intimidate cyclists for political ends. This is terrorism and the security services should be involved.
“I don’t know if people were
“I don’t know if people were doing this for bedevilment but they need to realise how dangerous it could have been”
I know this perpetrator must have thought of any malicious consequences, that fact must have spurred them on to do such a vengeful act.
Quote:
Erm – what other possible reason is there for stringing a cable across a cycle track? The perpetrators knew damn well what they were doing, and that it could/would cause injury. They just didn’t care…
Really cannot understand the
Really cannot understand the mentality of people doing this….I used to commute on this track at 6am most days.
Sad, mixed up, malicious people!
SuperG wrote:
Same mentality as those who put out anti-freeze to kill cats…
I went to school about 150
I went to school about 150 yards away from where this happened and I know that cycle path very well.
You can get from there to the Mumbles from there in about 25mins, it used to be a lovely secluded bike path, much faster than driving.
I suspect we’ll never find out who did this.
The only positive I can take
The only positive I can take from this story is the fact the victim used the term bedevilment.
Not just the usual having a
Not just the usual having a laugh at cyclists exspence,this is attempted murder.Imagine the uproar if someone slung a chain across the M6.
it’s wounding with intent to
it’s wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm contrary to S.18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. it’s basically one step down from attempted murder and an offence that can only be heard in Crown Court.
The police as always will do fuck all and matters will continue on until someone is killed and then it’ll be too little too late and still probably get a slap on the wrist.
I hope however did this dies a horrible death very soon.
As for the helmet, didn’t do the job they thought it would do did it, couldn’t even stave off a simple concussion ffs!
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
Please don’t; that isn’t what this is about and we have no proof of whether the helmet helped or not. It could have been concussion vs fracture or concussion vs not much, dent in the helmet vs head not hitting, just don’t know the details. I know what i’d guess if I absolutely had to bet, but that’s totally irrelevant. It’s about how she got attacked.
C’mon you spineless bastard,
C’mon you spineless bastard, step out of the shadows for a face to face chat.
The problem is everyone apart
The problem is everyone apart from cyclists probably views this as some sort of slapstick offence. It’s just a jape , right? Ha ha rope across the cycle path, similar to custard pie in face.
Yorkshire wallet wrote:
Yup, its just like when bored kids toss concrete blocks off of motorway bridges… Nobody takes such teenage japes and devilment particularly seriously… Oh, wait a minute…
Stringing wires across bike
Stringing wires across bike lanes – …as advocated by Matthew Parris, ex-MP and Times columnist: https://www.bikebiz.com/retail/parris-apologises-for-deathtocyclists-comment
henryb wrote:
Parris had started his article thus: “A festive custom we could do worse than foster would be stringing piano wire across country lanes to decapitate cyclists.”
henryb wrote:
Not much of an apology either, it seems! Doesn’t show much sign he understood why it was so offensive.