“It seemed like I was hit by a sledgehammer": Charity volunteer, 76, can no longer cycle to work after accident
A 76-year-old charity volunteer says he can no longer cycle to work after being thrown from his bike by an upturned brick in the road.
David Telfer, who volunteers at the British Heart Foundation shop on North Street, was cycling to work in May when he unexpectedly came off his bike on Westgate Road.
Recalling the incident, he said: “It seemed like I was hit by a sledgehammer.”
David believes the accident was caused by an upturned brick in the road, as witnessed by a driver behind him. He says he contacted West Sussex County Council because he feels it bears some responsibility, but claims he has received little more than automated responses.
He told the Chichester Observer: “West Sussex Council have not been at all helpful and one of them even phoned me to say I was wasting my time.”
A spokesperson for West Sussex County Council said: “We are committed to delivering a high level of customer service to everyone who contacts the council. While we do not routinely discuss details of individual cases, we can confirm we have spoken with the member of the public in this instance, both directly and in writing, and have confirmed they can pursue a claim through the Council and explained the process for doing so.”
Despite avoiding injury, David says the incident has left his electric bike damaged. Its chain now regularly comes off, making it unreliable as his main form of transport.
He said: “The chain now makes a noise which it never did before. I haven’t replaced a chain on a bike for years and never on an electric bike, so it took some time to master the basics. Despite this, I walked into volunteering yesterday but was picked up at the end of my shift. Not very eco!”