Editor:
On Sunday morning, at approximately 6 a.m., my son was cycling to work.
On the 24 Avenue overpass, he shoulder-checked and then proceeded to attempt to go into the turning lane to make the left onto Croydon Drive. Just as he moved into the turning lane, he was startled by a blast of a car horn from behind, causing him to lose control and fly off his bike.
He fell and slid into the path of the oncoming vehicle, which fortunately was able to stop in time.
The driver put on his emergency lights and got out to see if he was OK. Others stopped as well. But my son insisted he didn’t need an ambulance, which brings me the point of this letter.
He wasn’t OK. He was in shock, his adrenaline was racing, he didn’t realize how badly he was hurt. Once he got up and grabbed his bike, he instinctively tried to get to his destination but the pain soon set in.
His knee was shattered.
His supervisor called me immediately and administered first-aid. When I arrived, I loaded him in my truck and went to the ER.
If anything like this happens to anyone, please stay with the injured for at least 15 minutes. Give them time to let the initial shock subside long enough to really know how badly they may be hurt.
My 17-year-old boy was suffering from shock and in severe pain, the kneecap was shattered and his attempt to walk the last 300 yards may have done serious tendon damage – I’ll know more when he actually gets the MRI.
He claims he insisted in those first five minutes he was OK. Five minutes of attention was not enough.
Stacey Marton, Surrey