Flying wheel takes out cyclist

As far as first responders knew the person they were treating at the scene of a freak farm machinery accident in Wairarapa was a man called Horse.

Masterton cyclist Mike Wilkinson was taking a quiet evening ride last week when he was blind-sided by a wheel that had flown off the back of a tractor.

The incident happened near Gladstone School, 15 kilometres from Carterton, putting Wilkinson in hospital for several days with a punctured lung, broken shoulder, multiple abrasions and a head injury.

Wilkinson has no recollection of what happened from the period he was hit to when he woke up later that night in hospital.

Ambulance staff asked him at the scene what his name was and all he could say was ‘‘I’m Horse’’, referring to the nickname his cycling buddies called him.

It wasn’t until his wife Tracey rang his cellphone later in the evening that hospital staff were able to figure out who he was.

‘‘My wife was wondering where the hell I was,’’ he said. ‘‘They told her I was in a bad way but it wasn’t life-threatening.’’

The wheel hit him square in the chest but Wilkinson said it was lucky he didn’t come off worse.

‘‘At least I’m here. If it had been a foot higher, it would have been a different story.’’

Senior sergeant Jennifer Hansen said police were investigating the incident to see what caused the wheel to fall off the tractor.

A person in a ute nearby saw the incident unfold and said Wilkinson was travelling close behind the tractor. Wilkinson has not heard from the tractor’s owners since the crash.

An avid rider, the 57 year old had just completed the Trust House North Island Team Series and was lining up the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge this weekend.

Arm in a sling, dosed up on painkillers and still sore, Wilkinson reckoned it would be a few weeks before he was back on the road.

‘‘I’d be on the spin bike right now if my wife would let me.’’