An Airdrie man has told how his shoulder was broken after a road rage altercation with a lorry driver while he exercised horses alongside his young family.
Edward Henderson had been travelling on the main A89 in Caldercruix with two horses and a cart last Friday afternoon when he says the large vehicle attempted to overtake inappropriately – and then struck him as he stood in the roadway attempting to manoeuvre into the family farm.
He says he and his two children are “traumatised” by the incident, and is now calling for warning signs to be put in place on the road to remind drivers of the speed limit and to take care around similarly vulnerable road users.
Edward had been exercising animals Tooti and Twinkle with 12-year-old daughter Naomi, who was on horseback at the front of the group, and son Steven, 19, who was at the reins of the cart.
As they came to the end of a circuit around Plains and Caldercruix, they were travelling back along Airdrie Road and preparing to turn into their home at Rockbank Farm when he says they were subjected to abuse from the driver of a lorry as he then attempted to pass the group.
He said: “We’d moved out to overtake a parked car at the side of the road and I’d jumped down from the cart and was standing on the white line, to help as the children and horses turn in because it’s a fast road.
“The lorry driver tried to squeeze past, in between us and the parked car. There wasn’t enough room and I told him to wait two minutes.
“He was shouting that we shouldn’t be on the road and that horses are a nuisance on the public highway, giving dog’s abuse – I said he should read the Highway Code and that he had to give us two metres of space.
“I was asking him to wait but he still kept coming at me, and then when I turned away to walk in, he just kept pushing by and I was hit twice on the back and shoulder.
“We got the horses off the road and then phoned the police. After they’d attended I went to Monklands Hospital for an X-ray and it turned out to be a fractured shoulder and damaged muscles and tendons.”
The 47-year-old continued: “We’re all traumatised by what happened. I’m having nightmares and waking up screaming, and I’m in a lot of pain and have to go for physio.
“I can’t drive just now. I’m self-employed and having to get someone to help me with work.”
Edward now wants to see improved safety measures including 30mph signs and visual reminders to assist all road users, and has contacted Airdrie North councillor Alan Beveridge for assistance with the issue.
He said of his family’s experiences while out with their horses: “We’ve had close calls before on the road with lorries and vehicles overtaking.
“The speed which drivers go along this road is an issue as well, as they shouldn’t be doing more than 30.
“Horses have the right to be on the road and there needs to be better consideration of vulnerable road users – we’re now hoping to get signs put up and even cameras to improve road safety, not just for horses and riders but for all road users.”
Police Scotland confirmed the incident had taken place and that they are investigating.
A spokesperson told Lanarkshire Live: “Officers received a report of verbal abuse and an alleged assault by a motorist towards a horse owner/rider who was walking his horses on Airdrie Road, Caldercruix at around 3pm on Friday, January 14. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Councillor Beveridge says he has approached roads officials about the possibility of installing signs to warn of the presence of horse riders on the busy road, and that he has previously asked unsuccessfully for speed cameras and limit signs.
He said: “The possibility of putting up warning signs is being looked at by the council just now . We want to highlight the problems for horse riders and other road users, and this is a really concerning incident.
“The ideal scenario for me would be to have cameras put in place. In the past we’ve been told that the road statistics haven’t justified it but I’ll be flagging it up again.
“I’m also aware of vehicles going at excessive speed on the A89 and have had numerous complaints over a long while.”
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