A cyclist suffered facial injuries and broken teeth after he was knocked off his bike by a driver in an apparent road rage incident.
Alastair Barrows, 20, was riding in the Market Place in Hingham at 12.30pm on Tuesday, July 14.
He said: “I put my arm out to indicate right and the driver pulled out from behind me to overtake.
“I gave her a bit of a look and she slammed on the brakes while shouting – it was all a bit of a blur and I didn’t hear what it was she shouted.
“I went into the back of her car hard.”
Mr Barrows, a university student, was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) with a suspected broken jaw, two broken teeth and facial cuts which needed stitches, though he was able to return home on Tuesday evening.
“It wasn’t nice but I know I’m lucky,” he said. “It could have been a lot worse.”
Norfolk Police confirmed they were called to incident involving the 20-year-old and a woman driving a white Vauxhall Corsa. A spokesperson said that enquiries are ongoing.
Mr Barrows has been living in Bristol since last September and only returned to Norwich last week.
He has long been a lover of cycling and, in 2017, pedalled for 310 miles non-stop to raise more than £2,100 for Meningitis Research in memory of his father who died when he was only two years old.
His bicycle sustained damage in the incident, but Mr Barrows said he had already been in contact with a local cycle repair shop to get it back in working order.
And despite the shock of this incident, he insists he will be back in the saddle as soon as possible.
“It wasn’t nice but it won’t put me off. It could never stop me from cycling.”
His mother Victoria MacDonald, landlady at the Cellar House in Eaton and the Old Ram in Tivetshall St Mary, said it “could have been so much worse” for her son, who was wearing a helmet.
She said: “Big thanks to NNUH for taking care of him. Big thanks also to Norfolk Police for investigating the matter.”
In a post on social media, the NNUH said: “We’re sorry to hear of Alastair’s experience, but very glad that our staff took the very best care of him.
“All the best with your recovery Alastair and we hope you’re back on your bike again soon.”
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