Mona Vale Rd - Accident this morning

[jimmy]

First up, I didn't witness the accident, I was on the scene soon after it happened, and I spoke to the driver.

I rode with Bike Bug this morning, they do a run from North Sydney, through the Spit Bridge, and then up Pittwater Rd to Church Point, up McCarrs Creek Rd, and then back along Mona Vale Rd to the Pacific Highway, and return to North Sydney.

We were riding along Mona Vale Rd, when the bunch pulled up, at first I thought it was a flat, and someone said that there was a girl on the road.

We walked back, and sure enough, there was a female cyclist lying just off Mona Vale Rd on Douglas St. She was on her back, conscious, and obviously fairly distressed. Her bike was at the side of the road, and the steerer had been smashed out of the headset. Apart from that, there was no more obvious damage (her front tyre was still inflated).

We called an ambulance, and a nearby resident supplied a blanket as well as something to support her neck until help arrived.

I spoke to the motorist who had collied with her, and here is his story.

He was heading east along Mona Vale Rd, and he stopped to turn right into Douglas St. He said that he saw no traffic and so started to turn, the cyclist then appeared out of nowhere, and then the front of his car collided with the side of her, she went over the bonnet, and fell off the car on the right hand side, ending up on the road in the position we saw her.

Physically, I think that she is fine, she is probably in a lot of pain, and having her back and neck x-rayed to make sure everything is OK, and she will probably be able to get back on a bike within a few weeks. I think more than anything else, she is going have issues mentally, I can't imagine that something like that wouldn't affect your confidence on the road.

Once the police and some Turramurra cyclists (she was a Turramurra club member) showed up, I pressed on with the Bike Bug guys. A lot more carefully and sedately that we had been doing before hand.

In my time on the bike I have seen several accidents, and been in a few myself. One of our riders went down today on McCarrs Creek Rd. That didn't affect me, this accident did. It wasn't because it was a female cyclist, it was simply because a car was involved. Whenever a car and a cyclist collide, you can pretty much guarantee that the cyclist is going to come off a lot worse and the motorist.

Be careful out there.

James

[weiyun]

Classic story... "the cyclist then appeared out of nowhere"!

Hope the injured will recover soon both physically and psychologically.

I have also seen some spectacular ones on the Waterfall run and those experiences will never leave you. The key is to always remember to ride defensively.

[Stuart]

I hope she is OK and recovers quickly. It must be hard to get back on a bike after a crash like that.

Typically the motorist claims that that the vulnerable road user "appeared out of nowhere". Code for "I didn't look and anything smaller sized than a car is not recognisable by me". My brain is so small that I can only see objects larger then a car. Same thing happens to motorcyclists. If it had been me on the ride I would not have been able to control my anger as Jimmy apparently has. Bastard drivers to have the sh*t put up them or they'll never learn. Sue the bastards ass and try to take his house away in the process. That's the only thing they'll understand.

[Terry]

I can speak from personal experience that an accident like that definitely affects your confidence on the road.

As they say you just have to get straight back on the "horse".

[kiwiames]

Thats scary to hear, sounds very similar to my own crash. It does effect your confidence on the road. Just hope the xrays are clear and she has no serious injuries. The driver should be charged. 'Appeared out of nowhere' what a load of crap. Open your bloody eyes and look. I wish her a speedy recovery and hopefully shes back on the bike soon.

[park]

I hope her tests clear her of anything serious.

Looks like a hit-and-run in Northern NSW, sadly the cyclist was found passed away.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/cyclists ... -ayyq.html