Police in York are investigating an opportunistic and callous bike theft which saw a cyclist’s bicycle stolen after he crashed and suffered serious injuries.
The incident happened last month, between 5.30pm and 6.30pm on 23 February 2024, a young cyclist falling from his black and red Carrera Vengeance mountain bike and suffering serious injuries for which he later received treatment at hospital.
Following the fall, two men appeared to help the injured cyclist, approaching him and assisting him to his feet while waiting for professional medical attention. However, the opportunistic bike thieves suddenly made off with the injured rider’s bike and fled towards York’s city centre.
Both men were described as white men, one aged in his early 20s and wearing a white hooded top with an unknown logo and black jogging bottoms. North Yorkshire Police believe the pair may have stopped and spoken to two other males on Water End before leaving the area. All the men mentioned above were unknown to the victim who was seriously injured following the fall and received treatment in hospital afterwards.
“We’re appealing for information from anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may have seen anyone matching the suspects’ description in possession of the bike in the local area,” a police spokesperson said.
“Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should email Eleanor.stevens@northyorkshire.police.uk. You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC Eleanor Stevens. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12240035285.”
As grim as the incident is, it is not the first time we have reported an injured cyclist having their bike taken. In 2018, a Glasgow cyclist who had been hit by the driver of a passing car was being treated in the back of an ambulance by paramedics when his bike was stolen.
Mike Etter was “left-hooked” by the driver as they turned across the cyclist’s path, leaving him “crumpled up on the road” and struggling to breathe.
“I’m shocked and disgusted someone could do this while a person is lying in an ambulance. Who in their right mind could be so immoral?” he asked afterwards. “I couldn’t believe I’d gone through all that pain to then have my bike stolen. It’s despicable.”
In 2016, police in Indiana in the United States, reported the horrendous news that a cyclist, Nicholas James Mruk, had been killed after a collision involving the driver of an unidentified vehicle, the motorist failing to stop at the scene.
When police and medical staff arrived on the scene they found the 24-year-old cyclist was already dead, witnesses explaining that the victim’s bike was missing because the driver of a second vehicle, possibly a dark-coloured minivan, had stopped, and that his bike was taken.
9 thoughts on “Cyclist seriously injured in crash has bike stolen by two men who stopped to help”
Scum
Scum
Honestly, less scummy than
Honestly, less scummy than driving in a manner that is likely to result in the severe injury or death of cyclists and other road users. I would happily have my bike nicked vs any sort of long term injury and certainly death!
Yes its massively scummy but its just an unacceptable form of scummery vs the accepted form that is driving dangerously.
I’d say it was far more
I’d say it was far more “scummy”. When people drive dangerously they don’t usually do it with the express purpose of injuring someone. If someone gets hurt there’s generally an element of accident involved. There was no accident here. The thieves new exactly what they were doing and what consequences it would have.
john_smith wrote:
Indeed, but the word accident has fallen out of favour, in the traffic incident world…
https://www.patrickdaniellaw.com/blog/crash-vs-accident-difference/#:~:text=by%20the%20terminology.-,Crash%20vs.,someone%20is%20actually%20at%20fault.
“An unforeseen and unplanned
“An unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance”
If a crash isn’t unplanned and unforeseen, then it’s deliberate.
Many years ago I was taught
Many years ago I was taught the main causes of “accidents” were laziness and stupity! Too lazy to look properly before pulling out at a junction or worse seeing a cyclist and then stupidly pulling out anyway because I’m bigger/I pay road tax etc etc
Also if RTC were still refered to as accidents insurance companies wouldn’t pay out as it’s an act of god.
But this is side tracking us from the original story, I hope the two downright scumbags are caught.
An event such as a crash
An event such as a crash/collision often isn’t deliberate but someone is responsible for it (they were going too fast, negligence etc.). The term accident refers to an event which isn’t deliberate either but also infers that no one is actually to blame. Hence alot of people prefer to avoid the use of the latter when referring to an RTC where someone is specifically to blame.
The BMJ banned the accident term long ago (2001) and other organisations are slowly catching up.
I’m not sure exactly how to
I’m not sure exactly how to take the OP’s comment. However agree with your point generally.
I think often the more impersonal “health and safety” perspective is the best for reducing negative outcomes overall. It’s often clear that several errors combined led to a particular incident or made the outcome worse. Safe systems recognise this and incorporate redundancy – and better ones recognise humans are imperfect (but often in predictable ways).
In the UK I feel we’re too keen to say “it’s built now, and the laws are there – so it’s just up to people to follow them properly” and look no further when things go wrong.
I would suggest that sometimes some responsibility lies with those who’ve put our rules and systems in place, and those who have designed places. And with cycling infra sometimes with numpties who’ve built it to be even less safe than designed.
Sorry … actually, I’m not
Sorry … actually, I’m not sorry as it expresses the depth of feeling I have.
.
.
.
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Pair.
Of.
Cunts.