Cyclist suffers severe spinal injuries in hit and run collision near York

John Bennett, 48, believes the driver targeted him and fellow Barnsley Road Club member Martin Townsend deliberately as they enjoyed a ride near York Marina in Naburn.

The IT analyst from Rotherham now faces three months in a back brace and could suffer permanent damage to his spine.

Doctors warned him that if his bone had splintered, it could have severed his spinal cord and paralysed him.

John now believes cyclists are now at increasing risk of injury from aggressive motorists and fears more riders will die on the roads.

He and Martin had met up in Barnsley on the morning of May 25 to cycle towards Naburn, a regular destination for their club rides.

They usually stop at the York Marina cafe, but as it was closed had a coffee break at a nearby petrol station before setting off back along the B1222.

They were near the Millbridge Farm caravan park when the collision occurred between 10.30-11am.

"The road is narrow so we were in single file, and there weren't many cars around. I remember hearing a car behind us and thinking it was pretty close. It then did a left turn straight into use, hit me and I then hit Martin. We both fell off and the driver didn't stop.

"I face planted and my helmet and glasses hit the ground - I had a deep gash and was bleeding heavily. My memory is a bit hazy but Martin said I was screaming in pain. Some other drivers stopped and when the ambulance turned up I couldn't lie down, even after a lot of morphine."

John had an MRI scan and an X-ray at York Hospital which revealed he had fractured his spine.

"I've got 12 weeks in a back brace and the doctors aren't sure if I'll make a full recovery. I could end up with curvature and permanent problems with my back. If I'd broken the bone differently and it had splintered, it could have been paralysis."

Another cyclist in the area caught footage of the car, believed to be a 4x4, on his helmet cam and has passed it to North Yorkshire Police, who are investigating.

"I've had a few near misses before and about a year ago I was hit when I was cycling to work in Sheffield. I think since the lockdown there has been an escalation in hatred towards cyclists. With more people taking up cycling, and many of them being less experienced, it seems to have heightened aggressions.

"It beggars belief that someone went out of their way to drive into us and then just drove off."

Since Barnsley Road Club shared John's story on their social media accounts, other cyclists have come forward with similar experiences.

"We were told about a cyclist who was hit by a white van in Birkin, near Knottingley, at speed. His helmet smashed and his eye was left a complete mess.

"Something has to be done about this kind of behaviour before we see more deaths. There is absolute hatred."

John has received messages of support from professional cyclists, including Dame Sarah Storey, and hopes to eventually return to the saddle if he makes a full recovery.

"I'm a resilient person and I don't like to be beaten. It has made me question whether it is all worth it, but I love my cycling and I love the people I cycle with. I will get back on the bike.

"It's been awful for my wife and children - the youngest is 11 and the older ones are in their 20s. They have seen this happen to me twice in the past year."

Anyone with information about the collision should contact North Yorkshire Police quoting incident number 12200087038.

A war on cyclists?

On May 10, 36-year-old Andrew Jackson, a father-of-two from Wetherby, was killed after being struck by a Porsche as he cycled between Allerton and Boroughbridge. The driver was arrested and investigations are ongoing.

Police also appealed for witnessed after a female cyclist was left seriously injured after being struck by a cattle trailer being towed by a 4x4 as she rode between Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Settle in the Yorkshire Dales on May 12. The driver did not stop, nor did another 4x4 towing as similar trailer which was following behind the first vehicle.

A cyclist in his 60s also died on April 22 after he struck a parapet at Dibbles Bridge, a notorious accident black spot in the Yorkshire Dales, while riding between Pateley Bridge and Grassington. No vehicles were thought to have been involved and he has not been identified.