Cyclist’s leg crushed by lorry

AN elderly cyclist has been left in a serious condition after his leg was crushed in a horror collision with a lorry.

Firefighters had to use air-bags to free the 79-year-old from underneath the HGV following the crash.

He was then rushed to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary under police escort, following the incident which happened at 10.40am yesterday on the B9080 Linlithgow to Kirkliston road, near Winchburgh Bing.

The man is understood to have been cycling west when he was involved in a collision with a lorry, leaving his right leg trapped under one of the vehicle’s wheels.

A helicopter ambulance was also called to the road as firefighters worked to free the injured man by lifting the HGV up.

He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital, arriving just after 12.20pm.

Another ambulance was requested by police after a second person, thought to be the lorry driver, complained of chest pains. No-one else was transported to hospital.

The road remained closed for several hours after the incident, with traffic being diverted and First Bus providing a shuttle between Kirkliston and Newbridge while services 651 and X38 were diverted.

Police inquiries are continuing and anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact police immediately on 101.

The B9080 has been the scene of a number of serious accidents, the most recent being in October last year when a 56-year-old woman was treated for face and head injuries after a two-vehicle smash between a car and a van.

Matthew Ball, secretary of West Lothian Clarion cycling club, said he would support the speed limit being slashed from 60mph to 40mph along the entire stretch of road.

He said: “Cars come past quite quickly. I’ve heard anecdotally of a handful of people being knocked off over the last five years. I’ve cycled myself on it, but normally I’d avoid it if I was with my son. It’s got quite a high speed limit on it.

“There’s a lot of work going on along that road, there’s a lot of houses being built up. In the winter time with all the work going on, the road around Kirkliston was quite slippy because of the extra debris from lorries.”

Linlithgow Ward councillor Martyn Day said: “The reality is that we’ve got an awful lot of mileage of rural-based roads. Most of them are in pretty good condition physically, but in some respects that encourages people to drive faster.”

The latest incident comes as the Crown Office prepares to appeal against the sentence handed down to a motorist convicted of killing a cyclist.

Gary McCourt, 49, was given a five-year driving ban and ordered to carry out 300 hours of community service after being found guilty of causing the death of Audrey Fyfe, 75, by driving carelessly and hitting the back wheel of her bike in Edinburgh in August 2011.