A PORT Macquarie man has urged police to treat people more compassionately after he was left to make his own way home after being injured in a bicycle accident.
Bruce Page, 68, a retired truck driver and Vietnam Veteran, said his accident happened on New Year’s Eve, but months on he was still upset about it and had decided to go public.
“I was in shock and injured and they didn’t even ask if I was all right, let alone call me a cab or offer me a lift back to my place,” he said.
“I have just been thinking about it over and over again, and I just cannot come to terms with their lack of compassion.”
Mr Page was cycling past Miedecke Ford in the cycle lane on Hastings River Drive in Port Macquarie when a car came out of Miedecke and hit him, sending him and his bicycle crashing to the ground. He was wearing a helmet, but sustained a gash to his forehead and several large contusions on his legs.
He and the driver then had an argument over who was at fault, and called police to come and decide.
Two youngish male officers attended, and ruled that Mr Page was at fault because he had been cycling in the cycle lane in the opposite direction to the traffic flow.
He says he accepted their decision with good grace. However, he was still in shock and pain from the accident and his bike was a write-off, so he asked if they could give him a lift to his house which was only a short drive away.
“They refused and could not have cared less about my well-being,” Mr Page said.
“I had to walk home and then I went to the doctor to check out my injuries. My doctor was horrified to hear about the way I was treated or not treated by the officers. She said I could have sustained concussion from the smack on my head and my legs looked nasty.
“Even if they didn’t want to give me a lift or could not do so because it was against police policy, they could have explained that, and at least offered to call a cab for me because I did not have my mobile with me.
“Maybe reading this will make them aware of how their actions seemed from my point of view and they will be a little kinder next time they encounter a similar situation.”
Mr Page’s comments were forwarded to the police media unit for a possible response, but no statement had been forthcoming at the time of going to press.
