72-year-old cycled home from hit and run with broken ribs and fractured hip

A 72-year-old Cheltenham cyclist rode nine miles home with four broken ribs, a fractured hip and a head injury after suffering a hit and run. Doug Gale, who is now being monitored in hospital, has appealed for the driver to come forward.

Gloucestershire Live reports that the collision occurred on Gupshill roundabout on the edge of Tewkesbury at around 11 am on Wednesday, February 5.

Gale was returning home from a 60-mile ride, wearing bright yellow, when a driver pulled out, boxing him in on the roundabout and preventing him from taking his exit. The motorist hit him and knocked him off.

“I was left in the road feeling pretty dazed and bewildered but they just drove off,” said Gale.

“Eventually I got up and a woman who had stopped suggested I got off the road. I made it to the side of the road and collected myself a bit.

“She wanted me to stay because I had a hole in my head which was bleeding but I said ‘no’ because I just wanted to get away from there."

After riding home, his wife drove him to Cheltenham General Hospital. A CT scan at Cheltenham detected a small brain bleed from his head wound and he is currently being monitored at Gloucestershire Royal.

“I suppose it was shock but the adrenaline kicked in and I got back on the bike and did nine miles home,” he said.

“The trick is not to stop because once you do, then that’s it – everything shuts down. Once I got home I really knew about it. It was very painful and I knew my hip was fractured.”

Doctors say Gale won’t be able to ride for around six weeks and that he will be in pain for quite some time.

Gloucestershire police believe the motorist was driving a black car and they would also like to speak to a woman in a grey pick-up type vehicle who stopped to help.

A spokesperson said: "Officers would like this woman, and anyone else who stopped at the scene, to contact police as they may have information which could help the investigation.

"The woman who helped, or any witnesses who have information about the collision or who have dashcam footage, are asked to call police on 101 and quote incident 379 of February 5."

Information can also be submitted to Gloucestershire police online through the 'update a crime report' form or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“His conscience must be troubling him because he just shot off,” said Gale. I can’t see how he couldn’t have known.

"I don’t know why he didn’t stop but he needs to contact police now. He’s already missed the deadline for the 24 hour period you get to report an accident to police.

“I’m hoping somebody comes forward to shed more light on it.”