Cycling crash forever changed David’s life
A DRIVER’S momentary lapse in concentration handed cyclist David Clutterbuck a life sentence.
A leisurely ride in November 2017 forever changed his life after a collision with a car flung the experienced cyclist off his bike, over the car and head first into the road.
The driver at the wheel says she didn’t see him.
That’s despite Mr Clutterbuck wearing fluorescent clothing and a helmet as he legally rode through the Breakwater roundabout on his latemorning ride.
The driver’s lapse left Mr Clutterbuck a quadriplegic. Now he requires 24-7 care.
Mr Clutterbuck’s wife Carolyn says the enormity of his condition keeps her on constant high alert.
He struggles to regulate his body temperature due to his injuries. He’s constantly drowsy due to powerful painnumbing medication.
He has no feeling below his chest and has endured surgeries to address nerve and muscle damage.
Three fused vertebrae held together by metal plates caused complications early in his recovery, leaving him unable to swallow for more than a year.
“I wasn’t left with much after this accident and the ability to eat and drink was quite significant,” Mr Clutterbuck said.
Almost two years after the collision at the intersection of Carr St and Breakwater Rd, the couple are yet to come to terms with its lasting impact.
At the time Mr Clutterbuck, now 71, was enjoying the spoils of retirement.
Day trips, sharing milkshakes with his grandchildren, and holding them in his arms are treasured memories. As are hikes, overseas holidays and bike rides shared with Mrs Clutterbuck.
“Life was good. We did a lot travelling and following cycling events,” Mr Clutterbuck, a former Rotary volunteer, said.
Mrs Clutterbuck hoped her retirement would include holidays with her husband to follow European cycling tours.
But the driver’s momentary lapse has robbed the couple of that opportunity.
The seismic shift caused by the collision means the couple grapples with depression.
“We both know we have to do something to live life happy again, we’re just not sure what that is,” Mrs Clutterbuck said.
The pair are speaking out to plead with drivers to be more aware of cyclists on our roads and avoid being aggressive.
“On very few occasions do you get understanding or general courteousness from drivers,” Mr Clutterbuck said.
“There seems to be basic aggression towards cyclists (where people think) cyclists shouldn’t be on the roads, just bike paths.”
He remembers truck drivers would steer their rigs within centimetres of his bike as a means to intimidate.
Eight cyclists have lost their lives while riding on Victorian roads this year — four more than at the same time last year.
Mrs Clutterbuck says law changes putting the onus on motorists to prove they aren’t responsible for collisions with cyclists would change driver attitudes.
Mr Clutterbuck said serious bike accidents usually had a lasting impact. “It’s not something that is over in an instant. It is a lifetime. There’s a huge ripple effect.”
He is “forever grateful” to the Transport Accident Commission which has covered his medical bills, the cost to retrofit his home and other expenses to aid his life amounting to about $1 million.
IT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS OVER IN AN INSTANT. IT IS A LIFETIME. THERE’S A HUGE RIPPLE EFFECT.
DAVID CLUTTERBUCK