The family of a UK dad is mourning him after a freak accident during his morning commute. Birmingham Live reports that 52-year-old Chris Reeves was found lying on a road July 30 in Rugby, half-conscious. Reeves, a railroad signal worker, was airlifted to a hospital in Coventry, where he had an emergency procedure to relieve pressure on his brain. Despite the medical staff's best efforts, however, Reeves, who LBC notes was called "Lurch" by friends, died five days later, with loved ones at his side.
CCTV footage from a nearby garage later revealed what happened: As Reeves was riding sometime before 5:30am local time, two cats caught up in a street skirmish cut across his path and ended up tangled in his bike's wheels, causing him to fall to the ground. "He must have startled them as he came round the corner and they ran out in front of him," his 20-year-old son Dominic tells Birmingham Live. Dominic notes that his dad wasn't wearing a helmet and implores others to make sure they wear theirs. "His injuries could have been lessened or he could have been completely fine if he was wearing a helmet," says Dominic, calling his dad a "big, soft friendly giant" who suffered an "unimaginably unfair" accident.
Dominic adds: "So wear a bloody helmet." A GoFundMe in Reeves' name set up to raise money for "the send-off he deserves" had drawn in nearly $8,500 as of Friday morning. "He did however fight until the very end, staying as long as he could for us," the fundraising page notes. "Eventually, with his two boys next him, hand on chest and holding his hand, he finally rested his eyes and entered his next chapter." The post goes on to note Reeves "was never in any pain and now he's looking down on all of us, always there to support us, give us guidance, probably some funny joke and a pat on the back." (More freak accident stories.)
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