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Doncaster cyclist survives being thrown 60m in crash with speeding car

Graham Huck, 66, suffered serious injuries after being hit by overtaking car, but hopes to be racing again in 2017

A cyclist is lucky to be alive after being hit by a speeding car and thrown 62 metres down the road.

Graham Huck was riding with the Doncaster Wheelers when he was hit by a car overtaking at what is thought to have been around 70 miles per hour, reports the Doncaster Free Press

The 66-year-old grandfather of six was riding on the A1 when the collision happened, leaving him with serious injuries including a punctured lung, broken pelvis and fractured collarbone.

An eyewitness said Huck somersaulted through the air over the vehicle after the collision.

Huck, who celebrated 50 years of racing this year, said: “The police measured it and said I was knocked 62 metres down the road,”

“All I remember is being in the lay-by and there being a lot of blood. I think I was probably there for about an hour as the paramedics worked on me.

“When I was lying there on the road, immediately after the accident, I feared that I would never be able to go cycling again. It was very frightening,”

After the collision, on July 18 near Long Bennington in Nottinghamshire, Graham was taken to Nottingham University's East Midlands Major Trauma Centre. After two weeks in hospital he is undergoing rehabilitation at home. Graham said he couldn't praise hospital staff enough for their care.

Huck hopes the injuries won't get in the way of his racing, and hopes to be competing again by the end of 2017.

“I live for cycling, I have been doing it as hobby since 1965 so it’s a massive part of my life and who I am,” he said.

“I can’t wait to go out again. I know I have a lot of recovering to do but I’m determined I will be back on the road soon.”

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10 comments

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A V Lowe | 8 years ago
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A fit rider has muscle tone which provides a valuable shock absorbing system. I was hit at 40mph, wrote off the car, and all I got was a chipped vertebra and big bruises.

At that speed the car will be massively damaged, and the key survival detail would appear to be getting airborne to avoid the guillotine effect of the roof-line slicing through you, or staying low and compact to go through the windscreen and soak up the impact in the airbags (if they inflate)

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giff77 | 8 years ago
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Looking at the article it says Long Bennington which is nowhere near Doncaster more like Grantham. While the A1 isn't a good idea to cycle on. That stretch from about Newark and heading towards Peterbourgh seems safer than duelled sections further north. I know I regularly see cyclists and TT's when I'm driving that direction. The stretch of A1 at Doncaster is sandwiched between two motorways (Pontefract and Doncaster it self) I personally despise driving that stretch of road.

Kudos to Graham for his plans to getting back to racing and wishing him a very speedy and full recovery.

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Bigfoz | 8 years ago
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A1 around Doncaster is all Dualled, so a 70mph car, while utterly dozy behind the wheel and deserving of a good stint at HM pleasure, is not actually speeding... Unless the limit was specifically lowered, and I can't recall sections under 70 (I may be wrong)

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LegalFun | 8 years ago
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While I wish him a speedy recovery, I do have to wonder why he and the Doncaster Wheelers were cycling on the A1?

Whilst I do realise that the A1 isn't all 70mph dual carriageway etc and other roads do cross it, I still wouldn't cycle on it, nor any A-road near me!

Cycling on most of those roads is like taking a wooden spoon to gun fight!

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notfastenough replied to LegalFun | 8 years ago
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LegalFun wrote:

While I wish him a speedy recovery, I do have to wonder why he and the Doncaster Wheelers were cycling on the A1?

Whilst I do realise that the A1 isn't all 70mph dual carriageway etc and other roads do cross it, I still wouldn't cycle on it, nor any A-road near me!

Cycling on most of those roads is like taking a wooden spoon to gun fight!

While they should indeed be able to ride on such roads, I do agree, and avoid the big A roads where I can. I suppose it could be argued though that at least such roads have overtaking lanes, unlike the rural roads which surround me, and of which a sizeable number have a speed limit that is only 10mph slower.

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Richard D | 8 years ago
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Whatever happens to the motorist, Graham's recovery will be a lot more painful and take longer. I wish that it were otherwise.

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alansmurphy | 8 years ago
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No news on the speeding car? I'm sure the driver will be recovering from having 3 points on their license and being told not to be naughty again...

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djcritchley | 8 years ago
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After being hit 62m along a road by a car doing 70 ...

I feared that I would never be able to go cycling again

Now that's a cyclist!

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notfastenough replied to djcritchley | 8 years ago
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djcritchley wrote:

After being hit 62m along a road by a car doing 70 ...

I feared that I would never be able to go cycling again

Now that's a cyclist!

My thoughts exactly! "After being nearly killed, I feared that my new deep section wheels had been scratched...!" Etc

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Scowel | 8 years ago
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All the best for a speedy recovery Graham

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