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Climbing the BwlchWere you on Wiggle Dragon Ride 2013? Seriously injured rider makes witness appeal
A firm of solicitors acting on behalf of a cyclist who sustained serious injuries following a crash during the Wiggle Dragon Ride on 9 June 2013 is appealing for witnesses to the incident to come forward.
Michael Hopkins, aged 56 and from Bridgend, South Wales, was discovered at the side of the road, without a pulse, following the incident.
According to a statement at the time from event organisers Human Race, the crash happened on the descent of the Bwlch at Abergwynfi.
Other cyclists participating in the event, including two believed to be medical professionals and one who is thought to be a firefighter attended to him. The incident occurred on the descent of the Bwlch at Abergwynfi. He was administered with CPR and had his pulse restored.
Mr Hopkins was taken to University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff by air ambulance, where he was intubated and in a coma, and spent several week in intensive care.
Mr Hopkins fractured his C1 and C2 vertebrae in the crash, which also damaged his spinal cord.
Initially, he was paralysed from the neck down, but since then he has made some limited improvements to his limb function. He remains seriously injured, however, and is in a specialist spinal unit.
While his long-prognosis is difficult to predict and may only be assessed once he has had further time to stabilise and rehabilitate, there appears little doubt that the injuries he suffered will leave him with severely limited mobility.
We are aware from comments to an article we posted at the time that several road.cc site users were also taking part in the ride and came upon the scene shortly after Mr Hopkins’ crash.
Anyone with information is requested to contact his lawyers. Their contact details are:
Serious Law LLP
E-mail: info [at] seriouslaw.co.uk (subject: Wiggle%20Dragon%20Ride%202013%20%2F%20Mr%20Michael%20Hopkins)
Tel: 01204 361799
Contact: Neil Gregory or Chris Lecky
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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8 comments
I arrived at the scene of the accident shortly afterwards and thus did NOT witness the accident. Michael Hopkins was already being treated by the two medical professionals who were also taking part in the Dragon Ride. The incident had occurred just after a cattle grid and my initial thoughts were that the crash must have been caused by the rider losing balance as he crossed the cattle grid. The cattle grid was at the ‘entrance’ to the village at the end of the long – and potentially very fast descent off the Bwlch. Even inexperienced riders could easily have been travelling at 50mph plus on such a descent and ‘wheel wobble’/loss of control would be real possibility. The cattle grid was clearly signposted with standard road signs in advance but for a less experience rider this might not have given enough time to slow.
If you were braking as you crossed the grid losing control would have been a real likelihood.
There are some witnesses to an accident who made contact Cyclechat.
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/wiggle-dragon-ride-2013.116687/page-3
I think that is a different one all together.
The guy from the Road.cc didn't have a pulse when found. So the guy that scraped his face from that article, it couldn't have been him.
Can't help but have uneasy feelings about a firm of solicitors (or possibly ambulance chasers) getting involved with this, and the precedent it could set.
Needless to say, my thoughts go out to the rider involved and I wish him the best possible recovery.
I wholeheartedly agree with the best wishes to the rider involved, and all those that supported and aided him.
It's a little unfair to make a dig at his legal team, when you have no idea who they are, if they chased him, or any facts pertaining to this matter. As some of the information that might be pertinent to this matter, is on this site, it is best to leave our opinions aside.
The company mentioned, who according to the article, were engaged by the injured rider, seem very reputable. Let's hope they aid this rider.
If you did see something, however small, get in touch, care for a spinal injury is horrendously expensive, not only to the rider, his family, but for all of us as taxpayers.
Understandable but it could be to help him - they are HIS solicitors after all and will be trying to act on his behalf.
For example if the rider is making a claim (through his solicitors) on the insurers for the event, the insurers may question whether he was riding safely, which could have an effect on the payout. It would make sense to have some witnesses lined up who could speak to that.
I've PM'ed usernames Sepahpoura and al h-g
Only a post or two each, but they were about helping this rider http://road.cc/content/news/85089-updated-cyclist-airlifted-hospital-aft...
Quoted article and comments claims no other riders or vehicles were involved in his fall. The back tyre blew on a descent.