Pensioner managed to cycle nine miles with broken bones after hit and run

Doug Gale, 72, suffered four broken ribs, a fractured hip, and a head injury after a collision on February 5.

A pensioner left seriously injured in a hit-and-run managed to cycle nine miles home after the incident.

Doug Gale, 72, from Cheltenham, suffered four broken ribs, a fractured hip, and a head injury after a collision on the edge of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire at around 11am on February 5.

The grandfather-of-one said he was returning from a 60-mile bike ride when he was knocked off his bike as a car shot out of a junction and blocked him in on Gupshill roundabout.

He was left ‘dazed and bewildered’ on the floor as the unidentified motorist drove away from the scene – but was determined to ride home so his wife could take him to Cheltenham General Hospital.

The retired builder is currently at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital after doctors at Cheltenham found a small brain bleed after a CT scan and transferred him.

Speaking of the incident, Doug admitted his injuries was painful, but said adrenaline had allowed him to ride home.

He said: ‘I was left in the road feeling pretty dazed and bewildered but they just drove off.

‘Eventually I got up and a woman who had stopped suggested I got off the road. I made to the side of the road and collected myself a bit.

‘She wanted me to stay because I had a hole in my head which was bleeding but I said: ‘No’ because I just wanted to get away from there.”

‘I suppose it was shock but the adrenaline kicked in and I got back on the bike and did nine miles home. The trick is not to to stop because once you do, then that’s it.

‘Everything shuts down. Once I got home I really knew about it. It was very painful and I knew my hip was fractured.’

Gloucestershire Police are now hunting for the driver, as well as a woman in a grey pick-up type vehicle who stopped to assist Doug.

Mr Gale, who can’t cycle for six weeks after the incident, said: ‘His [the driver’s] conscience must be troubling him because he just shot off. I can’t see how he couldn’t have known.

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‘I don’t know why he didn’t stop but he needs to contact police now. He’s already missed the deadline for the 24-hour period you get to report an accident to police. I’m hoping somebody comes forward to shed more light on it.’

A Gloucestershire Police spokesman said: ‘Officers would like this woman, and anyone else who stopped at the scene, to contact police as they may have information which could help the investigation.

‘The woman who helped, or any witnesses who have information about the collision or who have dashcam footage, are asked to call police on 101 and quote incident 379 of February 5.’