In November of 1986, Pat from Clare was cycling to football training when he was struck by a car coming up behind him. He spent four months in hospitals and didn't walk again for a year and a half. He came on Liveline to share his story in light of recent road deaths involving cyclists.
Pat said the road he was cycling on was narrow and filled with potholes. The driver was distracted.
“They reckon he was changing a tape…he was fined a tenner for reckless driving.”
Pat broke his left leg in 5 places, dislocated his hips, knee and ankle, broke both arms, fractured his skull and was left with 196 stitches in his head. Unfortunately for his family, the night of the accident was made more difficult by an inadvertent mistake made by the Gardaí. There had been another accident on the same stretch of road a couple of miles away which had resulted in a fatality. In a mix-up, Pat’s parents were told he had died and the family of the deceased person were told they were being treated in hospital.
“They were coming to see a patient. My parents were coming to see a body. But unfortunately, both parents had gotten the wrong news.“
Two years later, the driver who hit Pat was convicted of reckless driving. Pat told Joe that the experience has left him unable to get on a bike again.
“I tried but I just couldn't do it. I was just too nervous on the road.”
Listen back to the full interview on Liveline here.