A retired senior Met Police officer has won a six-figure payout after being hit by a car while cycling in Staines.
Ex-Met Chief Superintendent Clive Chalk suffered a bleed on the brain and was hospitalised for a month after a dangerous driver ploughed into him opposite Lammas Park in Staines on June 9, 2021.
The Blue Chrysler PT Cruiser driver who smashed into the senior retired officer was later handed a 33-month custodial sentence and was disqualified from driving for five years.
Now Mr Chalk, who briefly lost consciousness and stopped breathing after the crash, has won a six-figure settlement after instructing personal injury lawyers.
Money from the settlement will go towards rehabilitation, with the 61-year-old left with fractures to his skull, collarbone and hip.
Mr Chalk said he believed the car hit him from behind, but he has no recollection of the incident and had to be told what happened by the police and hospital staff.
The crash left him with vertigo and nerve palsy in one of his eyes, meaning he was unable to drive for a year.
He said: “To this day, I still can’t recall anything about the crash.
“The first thing I remember is waking up in hospital and being told what had happened, the seriousness of my injuries and how fortunate I was to be alive.
“Until then, I had been relatively healthy and really enjoyed cycling to help keep fit. I went to the gym and was part of a canoe club. I also went out with friends and family a lot.”
The former Richmond borough commander told how he underwent occupational therapy and rehabilitation, supported by his wife Lorraine, and used a wheelchair for around five months.
He is now able to walk again and has returned to cycling and resumed part time work in October 2022, but still has lingering symptoms.
“After the crash, all that changed and I do not mind sharing I’ve really struggled having to come to terms with it all, both physically and mentally,” he said.
“At times during my recovery, I suffered from depression. Simple tasks were initially very difficult and reading a book was hard work.
“Even now, I have health issues due to the collision that I continue to manage.
“However, with great help from my family, NHS staff and others I’ve spent the past 35 months determined to move forward with my life and the settlement will ensure I can do this while giving me security for my future and further treatment I may need.”
Mr Chalk, along with his legal team, issued a road safety warning to others ahead of this year’s Bike Week between June 10 and June 16.
Peter Lorence, the specialist serious injury lawyer at firm Irwin Mitchell representing Clive, said: “We’re pleased to have secured this settlement for him which will ensure he has access to the specialist treatment he needs to move forward with his life as best he can.
“We hope it will also provide him with some degree of certainty for the future.”
