Leopold cyclist Fred May details horrific injuries two years after collision, makes plea for patience

A cyclist who was almost killed in a collision at Grovedale two years ago has detailed his ongoing health battle, pleading for motorists and riders to have some mutual respect for safety on the road.

A cyclist who was almost killed by a car in Grovedale has pleaded for increased safety on the roads as he still battles the effects of his injuries two years later.

His comments come following two major cycling collisions across the region in recent weeks — which left one man dead last month, and another fighting for life this weekend — and amid claims from cyclists that they are experiencing “daily incidents” with motorists.

Leopold cyclist Fred May was riding down Torquay Road in Grovedale in 2019 when a driver turning on to an adjoining street failed to see him.

The crash left Mr May with six fractured vertebrae, three broken ribs, a broken collarbone and nerve damage to his throat.

Mr May told the Geelong Advertiser that he was still recovering from the incident and would never be able to ride a bike again.

“The accident is one thing, but it’s the repercussions of what happens to you afterwards,” he said.

“I’m in pain 24/7. The injuries I got are still with me, I haven’t been able to get back to work in two years. I’ll be battling with this for life.”

“Every day tasks, such as mowing or mopping take twice to three times as long as it normally would – you become depressed because you cant do the things you were able to do.”

Leopold cyclist Fred May in hospital after being hit by a car in 2019.

Authorities and bike safety advocates have echoed Mr May’s comments, urging motorists and bike riders to look out for each other.

During the last 12 months, Geelong, Bellarine and the Surf Coast recorded 54 cyclist collisions involving injuries, with two being fatal.

A cyclist who sustained life-threatening injuries after colliding into a van in St Leonards on Saturday remained in a critical condition as of Monday morning.

Last month, another cyclist was killed after colliding with a car on the Great Ocean Road, outside Lorne.

Fred May after surviving the collision. Picture: Glenn Ferguson

Geelong Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Craig Stevens said all stakeholders were working hard to reduce the risk to vulnerable road users by improving road conditions, separating cyclist lanes and revising speed limits.

“Police continue to target and enforce the contributors to road trauma to make the roads as safe as possible for all road users,” Sgt Stevens said.

“Many of the roads that cyclists use are open roads where the speed limit is 100 km/h. Drivers need to be aware of other vulnerable road users and provide them with a safety corridor when overtaking.”

Sgt Stevens asked all road users to be patient when travelling on the roads, and recommended cyclists assess the route and ride on safer roads to minimise the risk.

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Since his crash, Mr May said he still has regular hospital visits, including getting injections into his back to ease the pain.

“I’ve always been a big sports person, with cycling I’d ride up to 600km a week,” Mr May said.

“My life was cycling – and that was taken away from me – it's a very hard thing to understand, and I still don’t understand it.”

Cycling safety advocate Barton Van Laar urged motorists to give cyclists more space, labelling bike riding in the region as “hazardous”.

“At the moment there are a lot of cars on the road, and a lot of cyclists, there are incidents every day,” he said.

“Cyclists are the most vulnerable on the roads and are running out of roads to ride on.”

Originally published as Leopold cyclist Fred May details horrific injuries two years after collision, makes plea for patience