Bamber Bridge cyclist left in hospital after hitting pothole

A Bamber Bridge cyclist says a prang on a pothole left her in hospital.
The intersection between Mounsey Road and Station Road in Bamber Bridge as it looked in May 2018 in the most recent Google Street View image. Jennifer Unit says this is where her bike hit a pothole following deterioration of the road. Credit: Google Maps.The intersection between Mounsey Road and Station Road in Bamber Bridge as it looked in May 2018 in the most recent Google Street View image. Jennifer Unit says this is where her bike hit a pothole following deterioration of the road. Credit: Google Maps.
The intersection between Mounsey Road and Station Road in Bamber Bridge as it looked in May 2018 in the most recent Google Street View image. Jennifer Unit says this is where her bike hit a pothole following deterioration of the road. Credit: Google Maps.

Jennifer Unit, formerly of Leyland, was injured while cycling home from work in the dark just two days before Christmas. She was travelling along Station Road where it meets Mounsey Road in Bamber Bridge, at 5pm, when the mum-of-two was thrown off her bike when she did not spot a pothole ahead.

Jennifer said: "I fell down a big hole and flew off my bike, landed with it on top of me and smashed my bum to bits. I ended up in hospital and had to take two weeks off work."

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The impact of the fall was so hard it ripped her bum muscle and bruised one bum cheek, leaving it "black and blue".

The 41-year-old added: "It was a mess and very painful. I was really upset and it ruined Christmas for me because I was in so much pain."

Jennifer works all over the town as a home carer and cycles from house to house where she supports vulnerable people.

She said the accident left her worrying about her job, adding: "I don't know what I'm going to do for money because I can't afford to have taken the time off work and I have kids to take care of.

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"I'd started a new job and I was still in probation so I was at risk of losing it, and my injuries are making life difficult.

"I went back to work on Monday but I couldn't ride my bike. I was nearly in tears as it hurt to sit down. It was torture. I'm scared of riding my bike now as it was that much of a shock and the pain was so bad.

"I'm just going to walk everywhere. Normally work gives me 10 minutes to travel to each house but they've been really good to me and allowed me an hour."

Jennifer added she'd always been anxious of having an accident because of the town's potholes.

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"I'm travelling all day long up and down Bamber Bridge for my job and I have to rush about in the morning and swerve all these potholes. They're really dangerous. The roads are a mess all the time. It's always been like that - it's Bamber Bridge," she said.

"I struggle going up and down the potholes on my bike and I've always been frightened of falling off. Normally I have to stand up on my bike because it hurts when I sit down.

"The roads suck you into a ditch but if I go on the pavement then some people tut at me. It's hard work.

"My bike is battered and bruised everyday. You need a mountain bike in Bamber Bridge."

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Lancashire County Council is urging people to report any potholes using its online system.

A spokesman said: "We're not aware of any potholes on this part of Station Road having been reported to us recently, however following the concerns raised we will carry out an inspection of this area.

"We have 10 inspectors working year-round to check our roads for safety and report issues such as potholes, however we'd encourage people to use our online Report It system to let us know about any problems so that we can respond, particularly if there is a potential safety issue.

"We prioritise repairs to potholes according to the risk they present, with the most serious being made safe immediately, and others which meet our investigation levels being repaired within 20 working days."