1 Jul 2014Courtesy of The Daily Telegraph, by Adam Viler, 1 July 2014.
RYAN Kitching has a simple message for the driver of the car who knocked him off his bike and shattered his pelvis in Yagoona this year – “please come forward”.
Mr Kitching was riding his bike home, after meeting some friends at a nearby hotel on Anzac Day, when he was hit by a silver Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback with green P-plates about 5.45pm on Brennan St.
The Yagoona resident said the driver had been harassing him on the road for some minutes before he was knocked down.
Mr Kitching, 34, fractured his pelvis in three places, broke his nose and injured his face. He was hospitalised for nearly a month while his pelvis healed and is only recently off crutches.
Police continue to search for the car and Mr Kitching’s lawyers have issued a call for witnesses.
Bankstown Police Inspector Bradley Thorne said police did not receive many reports of cyclists being harassed or attacked by drivers in the area.
Although Mr Kitching had been drinking with friends before the accident, police have not held him culpable and Mr Kitching said he was not responsible for the accident.
A committed cyclist, Mr Kitchinghas been effectively housebound as he is still physically unable to mount his bike and has been unable to return to his work as a carpenter and photographer.
However, he said he was not angry with the driver who struck him.
“I was angry at first, when I was afraid of them but now I just want them to come forward,” he said.
He said drivers needed to be aware of cyclists on the road and the dangers they faced.
Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour said safety for cyclists was a priority for the council, which was developing a new cycling strategy for the city.
WHAT: Ryan Kitching, 34, of Yagoona, was badly injured in a hit-and-run accident on Brennan St on Anzac Day
WHO: His solicitors, Stacks/Goudkamp, have put out a call for witnesses to the accident to come forward
WHY: They are trying to identify the driver of the car
