Bad news from Bad Urach

Day 11
Distance today: 40.58 k
Distance in total: 1045 k

I was hit by a car. My right elbow has a fracture and my arm is in a cast.

It was an odd accident. I reached a t-junction on a quiet road through the town of Bad Urach where I needed to turn left. Immediately after doing so there was a pedestrian crossing with couple of people on it, so I freewheeled to allow them to finish. I was moving at walking pace. Next thing the leading pedestrian looked over my left shoulder and shouted something. Then I heard a car's engine and felt it hit me squarely from behind. I don't remember the fall it happened so quickly, next I knew I was on my feet, in pain and shock but aware I was fundamentally OK.

I sat down. My arm hurt. Several people checked on me, including the driver and policemen who were actually parked on the corner. I explained my German was limited, the police spoke English well enough. The driver, in a Mercedes, was a short middle-aged man. He was desperately apologetic, as he obviously had to be. He simply didn't see me. I think he registered the pedestrians and accelerated into the space that had just been in while watching them and didn't clock my presence. The police took the pedestrian's account and photographed the scene, marking out where my bike finished with chalk as they do for dead bodies. Later I was offered the chance to press charges but I didn't see any point, it was just a bad mistake, not an act of recklessness.

An ambulance took me to the town's small hospital. After xrays, a ct scan and a lot of waiting around I was given a light cast and instruction to seek further advice in London as I may need surgery.

The police have been very helpful. Once I was out of hospital they set about finding me a hotel for the night. I picked the wrong week to have an accident here. Every room in town is booked for a biosphere conference, except the expensive and terrible one I'm in now. It only has a basin, the toilet is in the corridor, I've no access to a bath or shower.

The police still have my bike. They thought the frame was bent but I'm not sure. The rear mudguard is ruined but the rear wheel looked superficially OK to me. (Update, it's not).

I'm OK. I'm not in any pain but I hardly slept. As I'm right handed some practicalities like brushing my teeth are rather difficult. Bit disoriented. I need to get home, something my insurance should take care of, I hope today.

Going to call time on this blog. I'll rearrange it and add photos when I'm able to, it will be under www.nickstricks.net somewhere. Thanks for the messages of support along the way, hope you enjoyed it while it lasted.

Nick