Cyclist: I’ll never cycle in London again after my leg was ripped apart in lorry crash

Pablo Freudenthal Heath feared he would be killed when he was knocked down by an HGV
Scarring: Pablo Freudenthal Heath was dragged along by a HGV in Clerkenwell
Rachel Blundy9 December 2015

A cyclist who suffered horrific leg injuries in a crash with a lorry says he will never cycle on London’s roads again as he launches a bid for compensation.

Pablo Freudenthal Heath feared he would be killed when he was knocked down by an HGV in Gray’s Inn Road and dragged several metres across the junction with Clerkenwell Road.

He believes the driver, who was not arrested, stopped after hearing his cries for help.

The accident caused the skin to be ripped from the underlying tissue on his right leg, leaving permanent scarring. He needed four operations to graft skin and muscle from his left leg in order to rebuild his right.

At the time of the accident on August 8, he had been commuting from his home in St John’s Wood to work at Shoreditch cycle cafe Look Mum No Hands.

‘I saw the open wound  – there was blood everywhere. The pain went through my body’

&#13; <p>Pablo Freudenthal Heath</p>&#13;

He said: “I was keeping to my left side and saw a lorry in front of me. I was approaching the junction, then I was hit. I was riding with it for about seven or 10 metres.

“I got my bike stuck in [the lorry] and was dragged along. I started shouting and the driver became aware of what happened — I assume he heard me. Luckily I was assisted by people walking past.

“I was very scared. When I saw my open wound I was expecting to faint — there was blood everywhere. It was very close to my torso and I thought I was going to lose consciousness. The pain was striking — it went through my whole body.”

Mr Freudenthal Heath, 25, originally from Bolivia, had been studying for a masters at University College London and was due to start a data analysis job with an urban planning firm in September, but had to seek a deferral for his dissertation while he recovered. He now intends to sue the lorry driver over his injuries and loss of earnings.

“I was very concerned because I was not sure how my life would go on,” he said. “At the very beginning there was a question over whether I would be able to walk at all. This has had a major impact on my quality of life and wellbeing.”

Mr Freudenthal Heath plans to return to London in the new year to start work, but says he is too traumatised to cycle in the capital again: “My relationship with the city is crushed. I used to think cycling in London was liberating, but I do not think I will ride my bike in the city again.”

Mike Macdonald of solicitors Reynolds Macdonald, which is representing Mr Freudenthal Heath, said: “We want to see cyclists like Pablo properly compensated for the horrific injuries they suffer.”

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “The driver was reported for driving offences. The case is being considered by our traffic prosecution department.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101.

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