Friends of a young cyclist who was seriously injured in a crash with a Dundee bus have raised funds to buy him a new bike.
The pals joined forces with Halfords to replace Ricky Rae’s bike which was wrecked when he suffered serious head injuries in the accident on Strathmartine Road last month.
The youngster was riding home from school when his bike left the pavement near the junction with Dunavon Gardens and he was thrown against the windscreen of an Xplore Dundee bus.
The windscreen smashed and Ricky fell to the ground and ended up in the middle of the road.
The 12-year-old, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken to Ninewells Hospital, in Dundee, with a bad cut to his scalp, a broken right wrist plus cuts and bruises to his face.
Friends Cadeyrn Harris, Ross Hay and Ross Mollison, all 12, attend Baldragon Academy, with Ricky.
The youngsters raised £450 to buy a replacement bike and their efforts were boosted with a £150 donation from Halfords, on Kingsway.
The group decided to spend £400 on a new bike and to donate £200 to the high dependency unit at Ninewells Hospital where Ricky was treated.
The youngster’s mother, Suzan Gilham, said: “Young people get such a bad press some times but these boys have done this off their own back.
“They said this is our friend and we care for him and we want to help him. It’s wonderful.”
Ricky, who has two brothers Nicholas, 10, and Ethan, seven, was riding to his mother’s house at the time of the crash.
He left hospital on Thursday, February 14, three days after the accident.
Steven Foster, manager of Halfords in Dundee, said: “We were more than happy to help Ricky with a new bike.
“His accident was so unfortunate that it just seemed like the right thing to do. We’re happy to have been able to put a smile on his face again.”
Gillian Moran, fundraising support assistant at Ninewells Hospital, said: “On behalf of Tayside Health Fund, we are extremely grateful for the kind donation of £200 by the friends of Ricky Rae and wish Ricky well in his recovery.”
The police said they were not taking any action in relation to the accident.
