Cycling club secretary left with broken back after crash believes he was deliberately hit by driver

A cycling club secretary left with a broken back in a hit and run believes he was deliberately knocked off by the driver.

John Bennett, the secretary of Barnsley Road Club in South Yorkshire, was riding with club-mate Martin Townsend when the pair were hit by a driver from behind.

Mr Bennett, 48, was left with a broken back and will now need to spend 12 weeks in a brace, with the possibility the damage to his spine is permanent.

The rider has now spoken out and said the driver seemed to be “aiming at us.”

Mr Bennett told the BBC: “I face-planted straight over the handlebars. The force of the fall smashed my glasses and left a deep gash on my forehead.

“I was in a state, with blood pouring down my face. Thankfully a woman pulled up and rang the ambulance.

“We have both gone over what happened and agree that the driver purposefully hit us.”

The crash happened on the B122 Naburn in York at around 10.30am on Monday (May 25), when the driver hit the pair from behind and then left the scene.

Both riders were taken to hospital, as Mr Townsend suffered bruised ribs and cuts.

Barnsley Road Club are now appealing for anyone with information to contact North Yorkshire Police.

In a Facebook post, the club said: “John could be any one of us – John could be you, your partner, your child, friend or loved one.

“The culprit needs to own up and come forward.”

Mr Bennett added: “I’ve had a few crashes in my time but I love my cycling and that’s why I’ve always got back on.

“This time it’s really take me to the limit and I’m not sure whether it’s worth it.”

Earlier this week, personalities from the cycling world hit back after a newspaper columnist said it was "tempting" to injure cyclists with wire traps. 

>>> Cyclist rescued from water after crashing into canal and calling for help for an hour 

Ned Boulting, Jolanda Neff and the charity Cycling UK have all condemned the column, written by Rod Liddle, which appeared in The Sunday Times.