Sue Coll

Three years ago I worked in London with a publishing company and had a wonderful interesting career ahead of me. I would cycle to and from work in central London. I did it to avoid the endless jams, keep fit and because it was green thing to do. I was not stupid on the bike, I was very aware that one day I might have some kind of incident but thought nothing too serious.

There are quite a few cycle lanes around central London but they nearly all suffer form the same problem. Wherever the road gets a bit narrow they are also bus lanes. This doesn’t make sense to me as bikes and buses don’t go together. Buses would come up behind me following close behind waiting to over take and it was quite scary at times.

However on the day it all happened it was not with a bus but something just as big. I was waiting at a junction just opposite Liverpool station when a cement lorry came up along side me. We were both turning left into the street ahead. I could not believe what was happening when the lorry cut across in front of me as if I were not there. I was crush by one of the front wheels as the lorry turned very slowly left. I hung onto the side so I would not fall completely under the wheels, it was like my worst nightmare happening for real. The lorry was probably only moving at ten miles an hour but it was going to kill me. Luckily for me some pedestrians ran out in the road to stop the lorry and they literally saved my life.

A policeman turned up and sat with me as we waited for an ambulance to arrive.

I knew my injuries were obviously serious as there was a lot of blood but I did not feel that bad. I phoned my best friend to tell her what had happened and I said I would be all right.

When I got to hospital they lay me down with a blanket over me and I was chatting away to the nurses when the doctor came in. He lifted the blanket and looked under, I could see from his face it was not what he expected. He said to me many months later that when he looked at my injures he was amazed I was not near death.

I had lots of surgery over the next few weeks and came close a couple of times of not surviving but eventually I was well enough to leave. I have lost a lot a flesh and muscle and as a result my legs and back are very inflexible. Three years on and I am still having surgery to try and improve my situation and the pain goes on.

I have not worked since that dreadful day and although I try and keep cheerful it makes me furious that my whole life has changed as a result. If I were well enough I would not ride a bike in London again. All my other friend and work mates who used to ride don’t anymore after what happened to me.