We are the parents of Louise. Thank you so much for most of the supportive comments. Louise has had another operation today and is making good progress. To clarify, this was a pedestrian pavement. We feel the only issue here was the speed at which the cyclist was travelling. I witnessed this accident first hand along with my 7yr old son. It happened purely due to the excessive speed of the cyclist (boy on a bike!!). I had no chance to warn my daughter, and more importantly, this boy gave himself no time to brake or swerve as he careered around the bend. I, as we all do, are fully aware that kids/cyclists use paths/pavements, but the issue here is SPEED! Had this boy been cycling with others in mind, this accident, and many others could be avoided. The speed at which this boy cycled along the pavement was equally as reckless as a motorist driving at excessive speed past a school at home time!. Whatever vehicle you're in control of, you adjust your speed to the conditions around you - as this accident has shown, even the smallest of vehicles can cause serious damage if rode/driven at speed. The only reason for our article was to raise awareness. If just one parent reads the article and speaks to their son/daughter to educate their child to take more care when cycling, then our article has been worthwhile. "
