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Dorset Police issue witness appeal after hit-and-run incident leaves cyclist with broken vertebrae

Bike rider thrown 10 metres by car whose driver failed to stop

Dorset Police are urgently trying to trace a hit-and-run motorist who failed to stop after hitting a cyclist and throwing him 10 metres through the air, leading to him suffering injuries including two fractured vertebrae.

The Bournemouth Echo reports that the incident that left father-of-three Justin Graham in Poole Hospital for four days happened at around 5.30am last Thursday as the victim rode to work.

As the 40-year-old reached the Wallisdown Roundabout in the Dorset town, he was struck by a car approaching from Alder Road. Police believe that the vehicle is a Toyota Corolla dating from between 2001 and 2004.

Besides the fractured vertebrae, Mr Graham suffered other injuries including grazing to his leg and a broken bone in his hand.

“There is no way he wouldn’t have seen me,” he told the newspaper.

“I’m lit up like a Christmas tree when I’m cycling and I’m not a small person.

“I did a double somersault over the top of the car and they just kept going. I landed in the road on my back and when I rolled over to try and stand up, I fell backwards onto my back.”

A passing fireman who was off-duty witnessed the incident and stopped and gave assistance, including keeping Mr Graham’s head still until the arrival of the emergency services.

“At that time of the morning I am usually hard pushed to see another car,” continued Mr Graham.

“Thankfully the fireman and another lady stopped.

“From what I can tell I was around 10 metres from where the impact was,” Justin added.

“All I wanted to do was move my legs but obviously I couldn’t.

“But to be honest I was more worried about where my bike was and who was going to tell my wife.

“I can remember riding the bike and then suddenly looking down and thinking it was going to hurt.

“I cracked my helmet and the bike is probably a write-off.

“I’m lucky to be alive. I could be dead,” he reflected.

“This has not only affected my life, but my family’s.

“For all the driver knows, I could be dead.

“We’d ask anyone who knows anything to please report it.”

Mr Graham was released for hospital after four days and is continuing to recuperate at home, where he has to keep still and is receiving slow-release morphine to help with the pain, reports the newspaper.

Doctors do not expect the damage to his vertebrae to be permanent, although he has an appointment with a spinal specialist in six weeks’ time, it adds.

Mr Graham’s wife Rayna, aged 37, commented: “We want whoever did this to realise what they have done.

“How could they just leave someone and live with themselves?

“Now I’m over the shock, I’m just really angry. We just can’t understand it.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Robert Freeman at Dorset Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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5 comments

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Super Domestique | 12 years ago
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Speedy recovery to the cyclist.

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mrchrispy | 12 years ago
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he's probably worried about the £200 fine and 20hr community service he'll get!!!

really glad the chap is okay(ish) and I hope they catch the b'stid. That time in the morning...chances it someone else on the way to work and its a regular route.

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OldRidgeback | 12 years ago
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Yep, the piece posted recently on the BBC website made it quite clear how many drivers involved in accidents of this nature have previous offences either for driving or criminal activity. I hope the driver is caught but there's every chance he/she won't be and the police don't have a great record on tracking down hit and run offenders. Hopefully the cyclist will recover ok.

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A V Lowe | 12 years ago
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VERY lucky - rear end shunts often turn the car roof into a giant slicer - good fortune that Mr G got airborne sufficiently to clear the car, and landed in a relatively safe way.

Car will have substantial damage to be explained - someone will notice.

As noted in recent review of drivers involved in crashes, a disportionate number have 'form' of some kind - either from previous motoring offences or other crime. Unfortunately for many of those guys hit & run is a better bet than hanging around for Police to turn up

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paulfg42 | 12 years ago
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Another scumbag. How can these folk live with themselves?

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