Offender gives cyclist her ticket to ride
Lying on the road, battered and bruised after being hit by a car, cyclist Brenda Crummey thought of all the things she might lose.
Fearing broken bones and a long recovery after being struck by a dangerous driver, the New Plymouth multi-sport athlete’s heart sank.
‘‘I thought all the things I love are going to be put on hold,’’ Crummey said.
This included her passion for road cycling, a sport she first started at the age of 27 and which sees her clock up about 150 kilometres a week. Without her beloved bike, which was written off in the May 16 crash, she feared the end of life as she knew it.
‘‘For me, it’s a vehicle. It’s my form of transport as well as my pleasure,’’ she said.
But her saviour came from an unlikely source. Within a week of the accident, the man who admitted to causing it – Malcolm John Tippett – agreed to pay $3400 to buy her a brand new bike.
Without this gesture, Crummey, who is in her 50s, said she would not have been able to afford to replace it.
‘‘It would have been a real bummer,’’ the mother-of-four said.
She recalls the morning of the accident as a miserable day, weather-wise, as she left her rural New Plymouth home on her bike, bound for the city centre.
‘‘You know yourself just to be a little more cautious because of the weather,’’ she said. To that end, she was dressed in fluorescent safety gear, had a helmet on and her bicycle was fitted with front and rear lighting.
About 5.30am, she saw Tippett’s car turn the corner onto Robe St and she slowed down accordingly.
But when she saw the vehicle heading straight for her, she did what she could to avoid a collision.
Due to the level of pain she suffered, Crummey initially thought she had suffered a broken shoulder and leg, but checks at the hospital revealed she had escaped the crash with only minor injuries, which included a concussion and skin abrasions.
One week after the accident, Crummey was back at the gym. She runs regular spin classes at Cityfitness and also works as a postie in the city.
The crash was the first she had ever experienced while out cycling and while she admitted it had rattled her, she would not be beaten by the fear. Yesterday, Tippett pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing injury. He is due back in court for sentencing on August 17.
While she has yet to meet Tippett face to face, Crummey is looking forward to the opportunity so she can thank him for giving her back the ability to ride.
Crummey said their shared experience was a cautionary tale for all road users and a reminder that cyclists also had a responsibility to ensure they were visible.
‘‘You’ve got to be fair to cars, you’ve got to make yourself seen. You can’t just blame the driver if you’re not doing your part.’’
It’s guaranteed Crummey will do what she can to stay safe while she is out on the road, whether she’s cycling to work or training for her next event.
Another shot at the iconic Coast to Coast event is on the cards for the grandmother-of-nine and she also hopes to cycle the length of New Zealand one day.
‘‘I’m lucky I can still bike so I’m going to get out and do it.’’