Pavement parking and pothole results in written-off scooter and injured rider
An elderly mobility scooter user was left with a number of injuries, including fractured ribs, when his mobility device hit a deep pothole and tipped his vehicle.
75-year-old John Brown from Grimsby was riding his device on the pavement following a trip to the shops when he was forced to ride on the road due to a parked van blocking his path.
According to local newspaper Grimsby Live, John moved onto the cycle path to pass the van, however, his rear wheel struck a deep pothole in the path, causing the scooter to tip over.
Occurring in November, passersby at the scene helped John to his feet, however, the accident had left John with a hairline fracture on his ribs and a bruised arm, as well as major damage to his mobility scooter which was written off.
Speaking to the local newspaper, John said: “Thankfully two men were able to come and help me up because I was stuck.
“I have had my scooter written off because of it, and it has just completely cut my mobility. I can’t get it repaired either because they have stopped making the model and can’t get the parts.
“It would cost me £818 to replace it with a new one according to a quote I got, and I can’t afford that. It took me ages to save up to buy this one and that was preowned and cost me £500.”
Living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), John’s condition makes breathing difficult, preventing the pensioner from waking further than 10 yards without needing to rest.
According to Grimsby Live’s report, the council responded quickly following the accident and filled in the pothole, however, John has been left without the funds to find a replacement mobility scooter.
“They’ve filled it in, thankfully, but it’s been three months now since it happened and nothing has been sorted with my insurance,” he told the newspaper.
“I just cannot be without my scooter and my independence. I can barely walk ten yards without my scooter, even to get to my car, I ride the scooter to my parking space, get in, and drive to the shop.
“When I get there I pull up and use my horn, and the staff come out and ask me what I want and do my shopping for me, because I can’t get out of my car a lot of the time.
“I’ve tried contacting the council to get an update, but I’ve not been able to get through and talk to them about it.
Grimsby Live reported that a spokesperson for North East Lincolnshire Council said the local authority had been in touch with John multiple times and issue was with the council’s insurers.
The incident follows a sustained campaign in 2019 to ban pavement parking across the UK, with Scotland taking the decision to enshrine a ban on pavement parking in law in October 2019 which will come into effect in 2021.
In 2018, the number of mobility scooter accidents logged with the Department for Transport in Great Britain increased, with male adults over the age of 75 being the group most likely to have an accident statistically.
https://thiis.co.uk/pavement-parking-and-pothole-results-in-written-off-scooter-and-injured-rider/https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Pothole-in-road-mobility.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Pothole-in-road-mobility-150x150.jpgGovernment & Local AuthoritiesNewsroomSector NewsThird Sectoraccident,Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease,Grimsby,mobility scooter,North East Lincolnshire Council,pavement parking,pavement parking ban,pothole,ScotlandAn elderly mobility scooter user was left with a number of injuries, including fractured ribs, when his mobility device hit a deep pothole and tipped his vehicle. 75-year-old John Brown from Grimsby was riding his device on the pavement following a trip to the shops when he was forced to...Calvin BarnettCalvin Barnettcalvin.barnett@bhta.comAuthorTHIIS Magazine