West Sussex cyclist, 75, calls for action on potholes after breaking pelvis and collarbone in Haywards Heath accident

Greta Nunn, of Beckworth Close, Lindfield, said she was rushed to hospital after she came off her bike in Perrymount Road on Monday, May 1.

She told the Middy that the accident happened near MINCKA Coffee before the roundabout at about 2.30pm following heavy rain.

Greta said: “The heavens opened so the potholes were full of water. That was particularly bad because you can’t see them soon enough.”

She continued: “That pothole’s been there a long time but I forgot about it and it was so deep I couldn’t control the bike.”

Greta said she fell off her bike to the right and landed in the middle of the road.

“Fortunately, there were no cars,” she said, adding that witnesses immediately helped her, including staff from the coffee shop. She said: “They were wonderful. People were very kind and someone called the ambulance.”

Greta said she sustained multiple injuries, including three breaks in her pelvis and a broken collar bone, as well as soft tissue damage. She said: “I can’t walk because I can’t hold on to a Zimmer frame.”

She also said her injuries will temporarily prevent her from teaching piano. Doctors told her it would take at least six weeks to recover from the fractures and said she will be feeling the effects of her injuries for at least four months.

Greta is now calling for West Sussex County Council to tackle potholes sooner and keep roads in a better state of repair. She said: “I’m really fed up with the council for not looking after the roads.”

She added that she and her husband do not have a car so she cycles most days and has to avoid several other potholes in Lindfield.

“It’s too dangerous for people,” she said, calling the state of the roads ‘unacceptable’. “I mean, we’re supposed to be encouraged to cycle and then it’s dangerous.”

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm the pothole on Perrymount Road was fixed on Tuesday 9 May.

“To help tackle the significant influx of potholes, we have introduced a number of additional measures. We have allocated additional exceptional funding in this year’s budget and introduced ‘find & fix’ gangs to offer a proactive approach to repairing potholes. We have additional gangs working on our highway with extra twilight and Saturday shifts introduced to meet demand. We also have 3 Jet Patchers which will operate until early Autumn across the county’s road network.”