CYCLIST Wayne Smith was almost killed when he was knocked off his bike and suffered head injuries.

The 51-year-old, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, had made a split-second decision to jump the red man warning light on a pedestrian crossing on Thamesdown Drive and was hit by a motorcycle.

The crash at 6.15pm on July 23 was so serious the road was closed for several hours and Wayne ended up at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with a bleed on the brain, a fracture cheekbone and bruising to his legs, back and pelvis.

He said: “I feel so lucky to be alive, this could have been so much worse for me and the guy on the motorbike. Thank God he’s OK. I was really concerned about him.

“I can’t remember anything about the collision immediately before or after. All I remember is waking up in hospital and the doctors telling me I had a serious head injury.”

Now at home and recovering he wants to warn others not to make the same mistakes as he did.

He said he had hoped to get over the crossing near Elstree Way before the traffic moved off. But he miscalculated and was hit by the motorcycle as it pulled away. The rider, who was also knocked off his machine, suffered minor injuries.

Wayne spent more than a week in hospital and even though he is on the mend he accepts he won’t be riding his bike for a while.

“I’ve been cycling all my life - it’s my main form of transport and I love it - and it’s the first time I’ve ever done anything like this. I don’t know why I did it - a stupid, split second decision which was the wrong one,” he said.

The other decision he regretted was not to wear a cycle helmet. “I’ve never worn one, thinking I’ll be alright, but if I had worn one my injuries wouldn’t have been so bad.

“People think it won’t happen to them, that they’ll be alright not wearing one - but they can save you from serious injury. I will be buying one before I next get on a bike. I won’t ever go out riding without one from now on.”

“My advice to anyone is never jump the red light at a crossing. It’s not worth it and you could end up like me or even worse.

“If my experience and advice saves at least one person from making the mistake I made then it’s worth it.

PC Jay Clifton, who went to the crash, said: “Anyone using a crossing should always wait until the green man is lit and never risk going on a red light. Also, if you’re cycling always wear something reflective, carry lights at night and wear a helmet -the difference can be between life and death.

“The other near fatal mistake Wayne made, jumping a pedestrian crossing light, happens time and time again. People think they can just make it before the lights change and the traffic starts moving.

“Often people get away with it by just missing the traffic, but sometimes they judge it wrongly and the consequences can be serious or even fatal. It’s just not worth the risk.”