Last Tuesday evening, about 7.15 pm, I was flattened (run over essentially) by a down-hilling MTB'er on Ilkley Moor. He hit me in the middle of a path junction side-on with the major impact around my right shoulder.
The impact of the collision was sufficient to land me a full 10 yards away from my starting point.
I knew pretty quickly after exploring the shoulder area that I was quite badly hurt so after a brief exchange of views with the rider, I was able to walk off the Moor and drive home (just a few minutes from the base of the Moor) and then off to A&E, this time with my wife at the wheel.
The collision with the bike and rider both fractured and broke my clavicle. The break is messy in that the force of the collision has detached a chunk of bone from the front of the clavicle. Astonishingly, other than a minor graze on my right temple, I was otherwise unhurt. I'm hoping to recover from this without surgery but it's too early to tell.
I have been in touch with those at Bradford Metropolitan District Council responsible for the Moor and the Protocol that gives MTB'ers access to most of the Council's land, to discuss how this accident might be used to communicate some essential messages to MTB riders who use the Moor.
Some reflection on events leaves me of the view that it was pure luck that this rider hit someone who is 6' tall. A smaller human would have taken this impact on an unprotected head, the consequences of which I don't want to think about. Similarly if the pedestrian has been an elderly gent/lady or a young child.
The purpose of this post is to see if other Ilkley Moor pedestrians have experienced incidents or near misses with MTB'ers on the Moor. If you have, are you prepared to share them?
If anyone has tales they don't want to tell on the Forum, they can email me directly at morganatmorganwilliamsdotorg