Curious clavicle coincidence for fellow Fairleys

In a story straight out of the “What are the chances of that?” files, two Scottish cyclists with (almost) the same name and living just a few miles apart have suffered the same injury in accidents within days of each other.

The Dunfermline Free Press reports that Stuart Fairley from Dalgety Bay, just north of Edinburgh, suffered a broken collar bone after being pitched over his handlebars when a wheel locked up.

His misfortune came days after Stewart Fairley from Winchburgh, a few miles west of the Scottish capital, crashed at speed, also sustaining a broken clavicle as well as concussion, damaged ligaments, bruised kidneys and a pulled hamstring.

Stuart told the Free Press: “The fact we’re both cyclists who fell off within a couple of days of each other and ended up with the same injury is just really bizarre.”

Stewart agreed: “It was a very strange coincidence, very spooky. Lets hope there’s not a third cyclist out there with the same name!”

The ‘paper reports that both men believe they would have sustained far more serious injuries were it not for their crash helmets.

Stuart said, “My head was okay due to the helmet taking the brunt of the impact. We were both on relatively new bikes so it shows you what can happen and that’s taught me a lesson to always wear a helmet.”

Stewart also believes his headgear made all the difference. “My helmet definitely saved my life. Paramedics said I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have a helmet.”

The two men may now meet up for a ride and possibly a spot of scar-comparison bonding.

Stuart told the Free Press: “I do a lot of organised events and we have a cyclist networking group for the Dalgety Bay area, the Forth Bay Wheelers, so it would be nice to get Stewart along or to go visit him.”