Cyclist seriously injured in crash has bike stolen by two men who stopped to help

Police in York are investigating an opportunistic and callous bike theft which saw a cyclist's bicycle stolen after he crashed and suffered serious injuries.

The incident happened last month, between 5.30pm and 6.30pm on 23 February 2024, a young cyclist falling from his black and red Carrera Vengeance mountain bike and suffering serious injuries for which he later received treatment at hospital.

Following the fall, two men appeared to help the injured cyclist, approaching him and assisting him to his feet while waiting for professional medical attention. However, the opportunistic bike thieves suddenly made off with the injured rider's bike and fled towards York's city centre.

Both men were described as white men, one aged in his early 20s and wearing a white hooded top with an unknown logo and black jogging bottoms. North Yorkshire Police believe the pair may have stopped and spoken to two other males on Water End before leaving the area. All the men mentioned above were unknown to the victim who was seriously injured following the fall and received treatment in hospital afterwards.

"We're appealing for information from anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may have seen anyone matching the suspects' description in possession of the bike in the local area," a police spokesperson said.

"Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should email Eleanor.stevens [at] northyorkshire.police.uk.  You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC Eleanor Stevens. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12240035285."

As grim as the incident is, it is not the first time we have reported an injured cyclist having their bike taken. In 2018, a Glasgow cyclist who had been hit by the driver of a passing car was being treated in the back of an ambulance by paramedics when his bike was stolen.

Mike Etter was "left-hooked" by the driver as they turned across the cyclist's path, leaving him "crumpled up on the road" and struggling to breathe.

"I'm shocked and disgusted someone could do this while a person is lying in an ambulance. Who in their right mind could be so immoral?" he asked afterwards. "I couldn't believe I'd gone through all that pain to then have my bike stolen. It's despicable."

In 2016, police in Indiana in the United States, reported the horrendous news that a cyclist, Nicholas James Mruk, had been killed after a collision involving the driver of an unidentified vehicle, the motorist failing to stop at the scene.

When police and medical staff arrived on the scene they found the 24-year-old cyclist was already dead, witnesses explaining that the victim's bike was missing because the driver of a second vehicle, possibly a dark-coloured minivan, had stopped, and that his bike was taken.