BMW driver ‘loses control’ and hits cyclist

John Rawles, a 71-year-old retired doctor from the Penzance area, was believed to have been hit from behind by a BMW driven by a local man at around 4.15pm last Friday.

"Once we'd lifted the car, we discovered that the cyclist had severe injuries to his lower body.

"He had been dragged for 15 or 20 metres underneath the BMW. It was one of the most horrific and traumatic accident scenes that I have been to."

"The car was being driven toward the docks and the driver seemed to lose control.

"The car collided with the railings on the bridge, then hit three other cars coming from the opposite direction before hitting the cyclist.

"The cyclist was trapped under the vehicle with life-threatening injuries; there were no injuries to any of the drivers or passengers in the other cars."

In other words, if the cyclist had not been there this would not have counted as ‘an accident’ in the annual total of road casualty figures which some cycling campaigners (mis)use to produce statistical arguments about the safety of cycling.