Top cyclists’ lucky escape

SHEM RODGER competing in Saturday’s Waikato-Bay of Plenty Road Championships, two days after the accident on the same roads in which he was involved. 262061AD

Ute crashes into cyclists after driver unsighted

By Colin Thorsen

An horrific crash involving a ute and four top class cyclists at Parawera last Thursday night could have had a much more serious outcome. All four cyclists involved in the road accident at Owairaka Valley are expected to make a full recovery.

Murray Carter, father of one of those injured, Brad Carter says the accident has not dampened the spirits of this group of New Zealand’s future cycling stars.

“Cyclists are a pretty hard bunch of dedicated athletes, they’re all planning to carry on. The guys are very lucky, we’re all just hoping for a speedy recovery now.”

Carter, Ryan Wills, Shem Rodger and James Morris were riding two abreast when the accident occurred. They had just come up a rise along Owairaka Valley about 5.30pm when Wills and Carter were struck from behind by a ute.

Wills (18), who took the full force of the impact, was carried 70m on the bonnet and windscreen of the vehicle. The ute’s windshield was shattered and the bonnet damaged with the force of the impact. Wills was treated at the scene by St John paramedics and flown by helicopter to Waikato Hospital.

The New Zealand representative at the recent junior world cycling championships in Belgium suffered three broken vertebrae, a foot injury and cuts and bruises on his face and body. He is expected to be released from hospital within the next week and will spend three weeks in bed convalescing at home. Wills is already planning a return to the bike in December.

None of the riders hold anything against the driver of the ute. Witnesses say the straight road was directly into the setting sun, and sun strike was a factor.

A philosophical Wills said: “We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Mr Carter says it was a genuine accident.

“The driver of the ute has been through hell too.”

Carter was thrown from his bike, suffering superficial head and facial injuries. He was released from hospital Saturday afternoon, started physiotherapy on his leg yesterday. Mr Carter said his son has no bad grazing - his face and leg took most of the impact.

“Both Ryan and Brad are very, very lucky. There is no doubting their helmets saved their lives.”

Mr Carter said cycling clubs were doing their utmost to promote safe riding.

“But motorists need to be aware that with summer coming on, that there are other vehicles on the roads besides cars and trucks.”

THE ute involved in Thursday’s accident shows the results of the collision with the cyclists. Photo supplied.

The riders were in training for the national championships in Dunedin next month. Ironically, when Wills arrived at the helipad at Waikato Hospital, other cyclists riding to raise money for Westpac Air Ambulances, were being entertained at the hangar as they passed through Hamilton. They were riding from Kaitaia to Wellington and another team is riding from Invercargill to Wellington.

Rodger and Morris, riding on the inside, escaped contact with the vehicle.

“I had no idea what had happened initially,” said Rodger. “I thought we were being shot at but it turned out to be flying pieces of Ryan’s bike as it flew to bits on impact.”

The riders were on the road checking out the course for the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Road Championships held on Saturday. The cyclists were scheduled to contest the Under 19 event, which Shem Rodger went on to win after finishing second overall behind Under 23 winner, Mark Langlands.