A four-old-year old boy has been left traumatised after he became the victim of a cyclist hit-and-run last month.
The cyclist collided into the boy, Caleb, on Latchmere Lane Road, Kingston, as the family crossed the road on an outing to the local shops at 5:30pm on 16th February.
Cars on both sides of the road had stopped to let the family cross but the cyclist, who had been travelling at a high speed, did not notice them until it was too late.
The speeding cyclist was unable to stop as he hit Caleb, causing the young boy to fall onto his back.
One family member present said: “Caleb dashed out to cross the road and the cyclist couldn’t stop in time due to his speed.
“If cyclists want to be on the road, they should be able to obey road laws and travel at a speed that allows them to stop if a child runs out.”
Although one driver who witnessed the scene came to the family’s assistance, the cyclist quickly rode away without telling the family his name or exchanging any contact details.
HAPPY FAMILIES: Caleb with mum Tyler Marshall and dad before he became a victim of the cyclist hit and run
The family member said: “The cyclist asked if Caleb was okay and then rode off, not actually caring about the answer.”
His mum, Tyler Marshall, 22, was on the way to her job as a carer when the accident occurred.
Despite her distress at the news, she was unable to attend to her son, as it was too late to find cover for her shift.
The mother-of-two said: “I was panicking, but yeah I still had to go into work.
“I said to his dad: ‘Just make sure he’s okay, check everything, make sure nothing hurts’.”
Caleb luckily escaped with only minor physical injuries, something that Marshall credited to the fact he was wearing a big puffa coat.
She noted, however, that the cyclist hit-and-run had psychologically affected him.
She said: “He still brings it up every single day, like ‘I got hit by a cyclist’ ‘I got hit by a bike’, ‘I need to hold on to the buggy, Mummy, in case I get hit by a bike’.”
She also noted an incident where a cyclist rode through a red light as the mother and son were crossing the road deeply upset Caleb.
Marshall said: “He went mental, absolutely mental.
“He didn’t really cry but he was in a bit of a panic.”
The incident has also led to Marshall quitting her job as a carer, at a time when their work is needed more than ever.
She said: “Knowing that I wasn’t there when I should have been there has made me realise I need to be there for my kids because they are still very young.”
Marshall argued that stronger regulations and penalties for cyclists are needed to prevent similar accidents from happening again, including hefty fines for cyclists breaking traffic laws.
Whilst serious casualties from road accidents not involving a motorised vehicle are not common, this is far from an isolated incident.
According to TfL statistics, 86 people in London were killed or severely injured in a cyclist collision in 2019, with 341 suffering from minor injuries.
Whilst the family have filed a police report, Marshall said that more evidence is needed to assist the police with their enquiries.
A relative posted on the Facebook group “Kingston Neighbourhood”, appealing for witnesses to come forward.
However, they are yet to do so far.
The family have urged any witnesses to the incident to contact the police to help them with their enquiries.
