Michael Hockey An 11-year-old Hamilton boy who was dragged under a bus while riding to school has had a lucky escape from serious injury.
Michael Hockey remembers riding his mountainbike along his usual route to Peachgrove Intermediate just before he slammed into the side of a bus about
8.30am yesterday.
"I just remember the panic when I saw the bus turning in front of me ... I must have hit the tyre and bounced off but I really can't remember anything after that," he said.
"Apparently I was dragged under the bus a bit but I don't remember that either."
His mother, Tracey Hockey, was walking Michael's younger brother to his primary school when a couple of high school students recognised her and told her what had happened.
She rushed to the scene.
"When I arrived, there were already a lot of people helping him at the scene so it was reassuring," she said.
Michael was taken to Waikato Hospital with what was suspected to be a serious leg injury.
His mountainbike and the helmet he was wearing were unscathed but Michael checked out of hospital yesterday afternoon with a broken leg and his hopes of an early start to the basketball and hockey seasons on hold for at least the next two months.
But he said the accident would not put him off riding his bike when his leg heals.
"It doesn't matter if you're wearing a suit of armour - if it's a bike versus a bus, the bus wins usually," he said.
"But I've been riding to school for about three years now and I'd like to keep doing that."
Mrs Hockey said it was bike safety month and she hoped the accident did not stop parents from encouraging their children to ride bicycles.
"I don't want this to put parents off but other people just have to remember children are much smaller on the road and they should watch out."
