Pothole flipped me off my bike and I nearly ended up under a car (From Gazette)

Pothole flipped me off my bike and I nearly ended up under a car

7:10pm Tuesday 9th March 2010 in

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A MOTORCYCLIST has condemned potholes on Colchester’s roads after an accident he described as “a brush with death”.

Aaron Clarke was turning on to the Avenue of Remembrance from Glen Avenue when the front wheel of his Honda CBR 600 hit a pothole.

He said: “It flipped the bike over and I skidded along the road on my side.

“It was terrifying and all I can remember is hearing the squeal of brakes, but luckily the cars managed to stop before hitting me.

“I can’t help thinking if I’d slid over on to the other side of the road, I might not even be here.”

The 27-year-old monumental mason praised two women who stopped to help him.

He said: “I was very shaken, but they called an ambulance and stayed with me until it came.

“I can’t thank them enough, but wish I’d got their names to thank them properly.”

Mr Clarke, of Hubert Road, Lexden, was treated at Colchester General Hospital for minor leg injuries after the accident, which happened on Sunday at 8.45pm.

He said yesterday: “I’ve been able to get in to work today, but my bike is not in a good way.

“I’m waiting for a garage to assess it, but it’s definitely not roadworthy and needs some serious work.

“Potholes can cause enough damage if you hit one in a car, but can be deadly to a motorcyclist.”

Mr Clarke, who runs A Clarke Memorials in Gosbecks Road, Colchester, has reported the pothole to Essex County Council.

He added: “I went to look at the road afterwards and the whole surface is crumbling away.

“All the roads seem to be breaking up in the cold weather we’ve had this winter and something needs to be done about it urgently.”

Norman Hume, county councillor responsible for highways and transportation, said additional resources of £500,000 had been allocated to fill in potholes caused by the recent freezing temperatures.

He said: “Our teams of engineers are working across the county to carry out as many repairs as possible, in order to keep our roads in the condition that our residents expect and deserve.”

l Potholes can be reported to the county council by calling 0845 603 7631.