A father has described living through 'every parent's worst nightmare' after his 10-year-old son was knocked off his bicycle in a collision captured on CCTV. Lewis Cope was cycling home on June 24 when he failed to stop at a junction on Cedar Road in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and was struck by a passing car.
Collision caught on camera
Footage shows the moment Lewis was thrown from his bike as he rode through the junction. Fortunately, the driver was not speeding and stopped immediately to help the youngster, who was rushed to hospital. Remarkably, Lewis escaped without life-threatening injuries but suffered severe concussion, cuts, and bruises.
Father's warning to others
Richard Cope, 43, shared the shocking footage online to highlight the dangers of cycling without helmets and to urge motorists to obey speed limits. He said: 'We've lived every parent's worst nightmare and we know how lucky we are to still have him. There's a lesson for drivers and children, because if the driver wasn't adhering to the speed limit, as they often don't, it could have been a different outcome.'
Richard praised the driver's quick reactions and noted that worn-out road markings and a small sign contributed to his son's complacency. He is now urging authorities to convert the junction into a STOP junction, calling it 'completely blind'.
Call for road safety changes
Richard explained: 'It's a completely blind junction, and residents will attest to the number of road users including cars, motorbikes, and cyclists who all breeze across the junction, sometimes without realising until it's too late.' He added that his son understands the danger he was in and wants to use the experience as a lesson for others.
'I don't want to waste that opportunity of a free lesson to others. I've had a number of requests from friends and family asking me to share the footage so they can show their kids the real danger of complacency. Let's turn a negative experience into a positive lesson about respecting the road and just how important wearing a helmet is,' he said.
Empathy for young cyclists
Richard also reminded drivers that young cyclists can be unpredictable. 'As adults we look for danger, we can sense danger – but kids don't. They don't have the lived experiences that we do. As drivers, we forget to be prepared for the unexpected,' he stated. He questioned whether young children should be allowed on the road without formal training, saying: 'By allowing them on the roads without any formal tests, are we placing them into a situation we know they are not mature enough to deal with?'
Despite the ordeal, Richard expressed gratitude to those who helped his son and confirmed the driver was unharmed and even offered to cover the cost of damage to the vehicle.
