Man died after fighting cats got caught in bike wheels
Christian Reeves' son is pleading with people to wear a bike helmet - TV star Gordon Ramsay issued a similar appeal after a serious crash a few months ago.
Friday 16 August 2024 14:43, UK
A man has died after falling off his bicycle when two cats fighting in the street ran in front of him and got caught in the wheels.
Father-of-two Christian Reeves, from Rugby, sustained a serious head injury in the accident in the Warwickshire town while on his way to work on 30 July.
Writing on GoFundMe, his son Dominic Reeves said he was airlifted to hospital and "fought a very hard battle" after an operation to ease pressure on his brain.
However, after not responding as hoped to medication, he died on 5 August.
Mr Reeves said his dad, 52, wasn't wearing a helmet during the early morning incident.
He told the Birmingham Mail: "It's tough to say because I want my dad back, but his injuries could have been lessened or he could have been completely fine if he was wearing a helmet. So wear a bloody helmet."
CCTV from a nearby garage reportedly showed two fighting cats had cut across his path.
"He must have startled them as he came round the corner and they ran out in front of him," he told the Birmingham Mail.
"One of them went under the front tyre and unfortunately the other went under the back tyre. Somehow he's come off his bike and sustained a really bad brain injury."
Mr Reeves, known as "Lurch" to his friends, died peacefully in hospital in Coventry surrounded by his family.
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Dominic said he put a Bounty chocolate bar in his dad's hand before he died as he loved coconut and he's now raising funds "to give him the send off he deserves".
In June, chef and TV star Gordon Ramsay also warned people to always wear a helmet after a bicycle crash in the US.
He said he was "lucky to be alive" and posted images of severe bruising to his abdomen and a busted helmet.