A cyclist who suffered leg injuries after he was run down by a moto-cross biker in an Upper Hutt says he may move elsewhere due to fears of another attack.
The man, who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of his safety, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and suffered a dislocated kneecap after being hit by a person riding a dirt bike at Trentham Memorial Park last Monday.
CCTV captures moment dirt bike rider appears to drive at cyclist - Watch on TVNZ+
“He didn’t try to swerve or anything, he bee-lined for me.”
“I didn’t have any time to react – by the time I turned around, he’d hit me.”
Footage from a home security camera showed the cyclist travelling in the opposite direction to a group of four riders. One of the group riding a motocross bike turns around, heads toward the cyclist and knocks him to the ground.
The man says he did nothing to provoke the rider, although police have told 1News the group of bikers may have wrongly thought they were being filmed by the cyclist.
The cyclist said the collision left him in excruciating pain.
“I hit my head on the ground. It must’ve been two minutes before the residents came across from the park and then I woke up and my knee was just in excruciating pain; I’d never felt pain like that before. I pulled my trackies up and my leg was just like a balloon.”
By the time he came to, the bikers had sped away.
He said the emotional toll meant he hadn’t had a full night’s sleep since the incident.
“It’s been nightmares, waking up, in pain, and trying to get back to sleep but all I can think is these guys on the bike, coming at me.
“It’s changed me as a person, I know that.”
He said he had given up his hobby of cycling after 30 years and he couldn’t bring himself to do it again.
“It’s my relief, I can put my earbuds on and disappear.”
Photos supplied to 1News showed damage to his bicycle's suspension with cracks from the impact.
“The bike's a write-off,” he says, “that’s a seven-thousand-dollar bike that’s practically ruined.”
Including medical bills, a new phone and helmet, he’s looking at expenses of $10,000.
He said he and his family were moving out of the area and he’s disbanding his business.
“We don’t feel safe anymore.”
Residents have told 1News that encounters with the bikers were a regular occurrence in the area.
One resident said she observed groups of bikers, mainly in the weekend.
Another called the behaviour disgusting. “This is an area where you’ve got young children, it’s too dangerous to have dirt bikes here.”
Hutt Valley area Inspector Shaun Lingard said police were aware of an ongoing issue with riders.
“We’re getting two, three reports a week, with more or a proliferation in the weekends and definitely over the summer months as well.”
“I wouldn’t say what we saw in Upper Hutt last week was the norm,” he added.
“He wasn’t doing anything wrong, just minding his own business.”
Over the past year, police have targeted anti-social dirt biker behaviour around the country.
“It’s not something unique to Wellington district, it’s right across the motu, particularly in Tamaki Makaurau,” Lingard said.
The injured cyclist wanted police to take action in his neighbourhood.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said anti-social dirt biking behaviour wasn’t something he was taking lightly.
“The Government is serious about cracking down on unruly, dangerous driving by boy racers, and dirt bike riders.
“Those who cause mayhem on our roads and put the public at risk will face much tougher consequences once the new laws come into force.”
– additional reporting by Reuben Smith.
SHARE ME