Cyclist Injured in Edenbridge

Off-duty officer come to cyclists' aid

A sergeant from the Special Constabulary in Kent performed emergency first aid on a cyclist who had suffered injuries following a road traffic collision in Edenbridge.

Special Sergeant Richard Warner was off-duty when he heard a loud bang in Mill Hill at around 5.30am on Sunday 8 August. He instinctively rushed to the scene to find a cyclist in the road, surrounded by debris, and with injuries that required medical treatment.

First aid

Richard carried out first aid and wrapped the cyclist in a quilt, to ensure he wasn’t moved until an ambulance arrived. At the scene were two other off-duty officers from the Metropolitan Police Service who closed the road. The cyclist was taken to hospital for treatment and is now recovering following a fracture.

CCTV

Immediate enquiries were carried out by Special Sergeant Warner, where he identified and secured some CCTV from a local resident in order to establish what might have happened.

As a result of Richard’s speedy actions, further information led to the arrest of a 27-year-old woman from Surrey on suspicion of drink driving, dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of a collision. She has since been released from custody pending further investigation.

Volunteering

Richard, a former Royal Marine, has been part of the Special Constabulary in Kent for eight years and said:
'I would like to think I did what anyone would have done, however being part of the Special Constabulary and as a First Responder it’s second nature to help others and react to emergency situations like this one.

‘My day job is in construction and I work with a team of people who build supermarkets in Sheppey and the surrounding area. I was in the Royal Marines before that for five years but had to leave due to a back injury. I really missed that environment, which is why I decided to volunteer my free time and work with the Special Constabulary, helping protect the people of Kent. As part of the role we get regular training, which is so vital to be able to react in the way I did on Sunday.

‘My volunteering role is primarily within the force’s Search and Marine Unit and I am also trained in public order. An average shift might include assisting other departments with arrests, searching for missing people or helping deal with incidents of flooding, where life might be in danger. We also work closely with partner agencies to raise awareness of water safety.

‘I’m in a really great team of special officers and take a lot of pride in the work we do and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone, in fact my son is following in my footsteps and has also signed up.’