Jeremy Vine recalls being knocked unconscious after penny farthing accident
The A&E department told the broadcaster he was ‘lucky’ to have only suffered a black eye.
Jeremy Vine has recalled how he was knocked unconscious and suffered a black eye after he had an accident while riding his penny farthing at the weekend.
The 56-year-old broadcaster and avid cyclist was riding the vintage high-wheeled bicycle on Sunday when he went over the handlebars and ended up being taken to hospital.
Vine said the A&E department confirmed he was fine after running numerous tests but told him he was “lucky” to have not been more seriously injured.
Speaking about the incident on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show, he said: “I’ve been in the wars a little bit, as my mum would always say.”
While showing off his black eye and broken glasses, he explained that he had been riding the bicycle, which raises you 8ft into the air, on the grass with no-one else around.
He added: “I think this is what happened, I didn’t see the divot, my front wheel went into it and I went over the handlebars and landed on my head.”
TV presenter Storm Huntley explained that Vine “thinks” this is what happened as he was knocked out for a couple of minutes after hitting his head and then was “pretty incoherent” for around an hour afterwards, and so does not remember anything between the accident until arriving at the hospital.
She also noted that the broadcaster had praised the hospital staff who did scans on his brain and spine and checked his heart.
Vine added that the A&E department had said he was “fine but lucky” and revealed they had never written on an accident report form that the injury had been caused by “riding a penny farthing”.
Presenters subbing in for Vine on his show on Wednesday debated whether he should give up cycling altogether, with one arguing that the penny farthing did have an element of “British eccentricity” but that the hobby must cause his family concern.
The panel added that Vine’s family have warned him that he is not allowed to ride the penny farthing unsupervised anymore.
Vine is an avid cyclist who often discusses the topic of road safety for bicycles on social media.
The Jeremy Vine Show continues on Channel 5.
