The driver of a BMW waited for a cyclist they had just hit to move then "made off" before the police could arrive.
Natalie Carter-Bonsou, from Dovecot, was cycling home from a job when she was knocked off her bike and sent flying into the road. The car that had just hit her, believed to be a BMW X1, then waited momentarily until Natalie moved before they fled the scene.
Natalie, 39, was left on the floor "dazed and confused," her bike totalled and her phone broken. She only fully realised what happened when a group of construction workers working on the side of the road rushed over to her to make sure she was okay and to tell her she'd just been involved in a hit and run.
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The cyclist, who still drives and uses her car, told the ECHO only hours earlier she was thinking she would "get knocked off the bike some day" as drivers often got "awfully close" to her when she cycling. She said: "I was thinking I’m going to get knocked off the bike some day.
"And then, literally that day, as I came down from work that was it, I was off my bike.
"I was just in a daze to be honest with you. I was just left on the floor, entirely still, thinking 'what’s just happened?' I knew I’d been hit, I knew I’d damaged the car as well so I know the car has some damage on it.
"At first I was just worried. I was worried in case I’d seriously injured something because I could feel my arm was injured, and my head was throbbing and had a lump the size of an egg on it.
"I eventually got up and just started to hobble. It was the workmen who rushed over who said to me 'what are you doing, love? You’ve just been hit - it’s a hit and run'.
"If they’d stopped at the time, me being who I am I probably would’ve said it’s alright. But now because they left and I’ve had time to think it through I’m furious.
"Yeah, I know that they waited until I lifted my head off the floor before driving off, but still, they didn’t know if I had a broken leg or a broken arm. It was a substantial knock, I was dragged along the floor as well.
"But I think he knew he hit me and waited to see move. I wasn’t able to figure out what’d happened at the time. The workmen said to me the driver knew they hit you because they stopped and waited for me to move before they drove off.
"I was just so annoyed that the driver has driven off and left me with a broken bike, broken phone, I was out of work for four days. I probably shouldn’t be back at work today to be honest with you, as I’m self employed so I need to get back into work."
The workmen who rushed to her aid were working on a nearby Cadent gas mains. Natalie added: "One of them, who works for Cadent went and found a doorbell camera that’d captured some of it. They spent about 20 minutes with the homeowner, a lovely lady, going through her doorbell footage of the actual accident.
"As that was going on I was talking to the other workmen who were making sure I was okay.
"At that stage I just had no idea what the knock on effect of the concussion was. I didn’t feel majorly in pain until a day after. I just couldn’t move the day after, I couldn't clear my head.
"I did have a brain scan and went to the hospital and that came back okay thankfully. I was also prescribed Diazepam."
The ECHO took the praise Natalie gave the construction team to Cadent who said: "A team from one of our local delivery partners, BCH Civils, is working in the area to upgrade gas mains.
"It’s nice to hear what’s been said about the team’s actions but they do really feel like they did what anyone would do in the circumstances. At the top of their mind is making sure the injured person was and is looked after and we wish them a speedy recovery."
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "We can confirm that officers from our Roads Policing Unit investigated a fail to stop RTC in West Derby last month. At around 2pm on Wednesday, October 28, officers were informed of a collision involving a female cyclist and a white SUV - possibly a BMW X1 - on Eaton Road North.
"The cyclist was left with a slight injury and the driver initially stopped, but then made off prior to police arrival.
"CCTV and witness enquiries have been carried out and anyone with further information which may identify the vehicle or driver is asked to contact us @MerPolCC or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 with reference 22000719518."
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