Man who suffered shattered legs in accident near Crosthwaite seeks mystery stranger who tended to him

Motorcyclist Dez Forster was hit by a fuel tanker overtaking a cyclist along the A5074 near Crosthwaite in 2017.

“I ended up with two shattered legs, I had to have one screwed back together," he said.

"I spent three months in a wheelchair. Then I had to learn to walk again, which was quite hard. I still suffer the effects of it."

Mr Forster said his son James, who was riding a motorbike behind him, was also hit, suffering 'stab' wounds to his leg, possibly caused by the foot pegs of the motorbike, and a sliced left foot.

He described the compassion shown by members of the public who stopped at the scene to help. Mr Forster was brought blankets from a couple's car to keep him warm and was prevented from taking his crash helmet off so he would not move his neck.

He said he contacted two of these people every year to reiterate his thanks but that, nearly four years on, he was still searching for another lady - the cyclist - who he knew only as 'Eve'.

He has appealed to The Westmorland Gazette for help finding her, asking Eve to get in touch with the paper if she sees this article.

"I’ve tried all sorts. I went to the Cumbrian police force, but the officer at the scene, he’s since left them,” said Mr Forster, 59, of Warrington.

“It’s just to say thank-you to her [Eve] for all the help that she gave us.

“My son was winded that bad, he couldn’t actually talk to me.

"I thought he’d been killed.

“I was stuck facing a stone wall. And I just couldn’t move myself to look round and see where my son was.

"Eve said ‘he’s okay, he’s sat up.’

"I didn’t believe her, I thought she was just trying to calm me down."

Mr Forster described suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder following the incident and said he had received professional help.

He has not been on a motorbike since that day but is looking at buying a trike in future, to help compensate for the difficulties he has with balance now.