A WOMAN who suffered a fall that left her needing surgery when a dog ran in front of her bike in a Worcester park is appealing to the owner to get in touch.
Carol Trigg was pedalling by the River Severn at Pitchcroft when she said a cocker spaniel ran towards her front wheel, causing her to swerve and brake.
The 61-year-old teaching assistant said she was left in “agony” after shattering her right wrist, which was left “looking like confetti” internally due to the impact.
She told how she has been “through hell” since the accident on Sunday, April 5, which required her to have a four-hour operation to insert a plate in her wrist.
“I’m just getting over a mastectomy, and I’m not having a fun time, so I thought I’d take my town bike and go along the river, joining Pitchcroft on the riverside and just being out in ambience and nature,” she said.
Carol Trigg wants dog owners and cyclists to be considerate of each other (Image: Carol Trigg/Worcester News)
“It was quite busy but I was going slowly and following the rules by staying to the left.
“Then out of nowhere a black, medium-sized cocker spaniel ran into the front wheel.
“I swerved and braked and went over the bike and landed on the tarmac.
“I smashed my wrist and I couldn’t move, I was on the ground in shock and trauma for five minutes.”
Carol Trigg will need at least two rounds of surgery on her wrist (Image: Carol Trigg/Worcester News)
The mum of one said the dog owner, who offered her his number, and a jogger helped get her to her feet before she made her own way to A&E at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.
“I was in agony,” she said.
“I didn’t smash my wrist in a normal way, it was literally hanging off.
“It was misaligned and the whole arm looked like the Elephant Man’s arm.
“I stayed overnight after having X-rays and very painful manipulation twice to try and align it before they found me a bed to stay overnight, and I had surgery the next morning.
“They said when they opened the arm up it was like confetti in there.
“They put a plate in which wasn’t big enough, so they had to put another one in with four pins.”
The bicycle crash left Carol Trigg with a serious injury to her wrist (Image: Carol Trigg/Worcester News)
She said that it will be months before she is fully healed and the injury could delay her return to work at Malvern St James School at the end of April following her mastectomy.
She has at least one more round of surgery on the way and was already receiving daily ‘reablement’ support at home to help her move around and complete basic tasks.
The Lower Wick resident has appealed via Worcester Facebook groups, saying she hopes the man, thought to be a lecturer, has pet insurance, and asking for him to get in touch.
“There shouldn’t be dogs off the lead in Pitchcroft when it’s busy and there are cyclists and pedestrians around, it’s an accident waiting to happen,” she said.
“Even if you’re a slow and careful cyclist like I am it doesn’t work.
“But the dog owner was a decent gentleman and a nice man who was concerned about me.
“He offered me his number at the time but because I was in so much pain and trauma I didn’t get it.
“I’d still like to speak with him about what happened.
“I’ve been through hell, all because of this dog.
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“I’d also like to put the message out there for dog owners to put them on the leads and the same applies to cyclists, they should be considerate of dogs and pedestrians and not go too fast.”
The National Cycle Network traverses the Worcestershire Riverside Park areas, which include Pitchcroft Racecourse.
The council’s guidance to pet owners states “well behaved dogs welcome” with no specific rules on the section by the river.
*If you are the dog owner and would like to get in touch with Carol, she can be contacted at caroltrigg49@gmail.com
