On Sunday 21 June, at about 10.40am, 85-year-old Timothy Wetherall was walking along the pedestrian path between Rue du Moulin and Rue des Trepieds, St Saviour’s, when he was struck from behind by one of two cyclists riding on the footpath.
‘The impact threw me into the air and I landed heavily on my back, with my right leg folded underneath me. I suffered a badly sprained ankle, significant ligament damage to my knee and a laceration,’ he said.
‘Although the cyclists helped me to my feet, when I asked for their names and a contact telephone number, the details they gave appear to have been false.
‘Until this accident, I was the main carer for my wife, who is also in her 80s and lives with Parkinson’s disease. She depends on me for much of her day-to-day support.
‘Instead of caring for her that morning, I found myself being taken to A&E by ambulance.
‘Thankfully, X-rays showed no broken bones, but the injuries have left me with severely restricted mobility.’
Mr Wetherall said the consequences have been devastating for both him and his wife.
Overnight they have gone from coping independently to finding themselves in the position where neither of them can manage without help.
The couple have had to arrange additional care and assistance, as well as meet other unexpected expenses, which already exceed £1,000 and continue to rise.
‘At our stage of life, this has been deeply upsetting and has placed an enormous physical, emotional and financial strain on us,’ said Mr Wetherall.
‘Guernsey has always been known as a caring and considerate community, which is why I find it particularly difficult to understand why anyone would leave an elderly couple in these circumstances and provide what appears to be false contact details. I do not believe this behaviour reflects the values of the overwhelming majority of cyclists on our island, many of whom are responsible and courteous.’
The matter has been reported to the police and is being investigated.
‘I sincerely hope those responsible will reflect on the consequences of their actions, come forward with their correct details, and reimburse the expenses we have incurred as a direct result of this accident. It is never too late to do the right thing.
‘If anyone knows who these cyclists are, I would be very grateful if they encouraged them to contact me or the police so that this matter can be resolved.’
Anyone with information can contact Mr Wetherall at timbowetherall@gmail.com or the police on 222222.