Councillor injured in near miss with ambulance

Nursing his injuries, Cllr Charles Clark said this week, "I could have been killed."

Cllr Clark, of Kinver Lane, claims he found himself facing the vehicle head-on as it made its way up the 'wrong' side of the carriageway to avoid congestion at the Wrestwood Road and Hastings Road junction while attending an emergency call.

He was cycling home from work down Hastings Road from Old Town.

The ambulance was approaching the traffic lights from Glyne Gap on the other section of Hastings Road.

Cllr Clark, a respite care officer, said: "There is no way I would criticise the ambulance service but having said that I will now be going to see the police and have a word with them.

"I would not have worried but I will be off work for two to three months and I will have to give a reason.

"I know ambulances on emergency calls have to jump the lights but it has to be done with care.

"To pass three or four other vehicles waiting at the lights, this guy went round the island on the wrong side.

"He swerved '“ I saw him put the wheel over hard '“ and I swerved. But in doing so I came off my bike.

"I am a safe rider. I haven't had an accident on my bike in 40 years.

"I didn't get any sleep that night. I was in agony. I went to accident and emergency in the morning.

"They gave me an x-ray and found that my upper arm is fractured in two places.

"I have also got internal bleeding in my arm and a sprained wrist.

"Because of the cars he was overtaking he could not have seen me.

"So what if it had been a car coming the other way and not me on my bike?

"The ambulance didn't stop. I can't be sure if he saw me come off.

"My problem is that if I leave it without reporting it and the ambulance people say they have no record of the accident because the driver didn't actually hit me where does that leave me?

"I will be paid while I am off work sick but I will lose my overtime '“ about 200 a month.

"If I had scrambled to my feet unhurt I would have just left it.

"But I have been injured and I could have been killed if we both hadn't swerved.

"It's just wrong in my view that they can come out blind into the opposing lane like that."

A spokesman for the South East Coast Ambulance Service said: "South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS (SECAmb) is currently looking into this matter and will be co-operating with the police in their investigation of this case.

"The ambulance service can claim certain exceptions under the Road Traffic Act while responding to or taking a patient from the scene of an emergency, for example exceeding the statutory speed limit and treating a red light as a give way."

Cllr Clark is appealing for witnesses to last Wednesday's 4pm incident to contact him on 221603.