Passing first-aider was 'Godsend' for cyclist

Good Samaritan Julia Nester used first-aid skills to help injured cyclist

A cyclist who was helped by a passer-by after being knocked off his bike by a car says she was a "Godsend".

Julia Nester asked the driver not to move Bill Lewis as he lay in the middle of the road at a busy junction in Middlesbrough.

Mr Lewis, 67, said his injuries could have been much worse if Ms Nester had not given him first aid.

“Having somebody there, reassuring, makes all the difference,” he said.

On the night of the accident in October last year, Mr Lewis was wearing fluorescent clothing and had lights on his bike.

Ms Nester, 46, was near the junction of The Crescent and The Avenue in Linthorpe, where they both live, when she heard the crash.

The car's driver was moving Mr Lewis when Ms Nester, who had first aid training and knew this could be dangerous, stopped him.

Mr Lewis had broken his back and neck, had multiple leg injuries, and was left with lacerations on his back and buttocks.

Ms Nester is urging people to learn first aid because she says "you never know when it'll come in handy”.

It might make the difference “between someone having minor injuries or major injuries”, she said.

The driver of the car which hit Mr Lewis was fined £150 and given six points on his licence for driving without due care and attention.

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