CYCLING TRAGEDY
Beloved dad died after falling off bike when two fighting cats got caught in wheels as he rode to work
Dad-of-two was airlifted to hospital but had suffered a serious brain injury
A BELOVED dad died after falling off his bike when two fighting cats got caught in his wheels.
Chris Reeves, 52, was cycling to work as a Network Rail signaller when the brawling moggies cut across his path.
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He was discovered semi-conscious by a passer-by on the road and air-lifted to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.
Sadly Chris couldn't be saved and died from a serious brain injury following the horror in Rugby, Warwickshire, last month.
His son Dominic is now calling for cyclists to wear helmets, saying: "He was only about five minutes away from work – he nearly got there. You never think it’s going to happen to you until it does.
"It’s tough to say because I want my dad back, but his injuries could have been lessened or he could have been completely fine if he was wearing a helmet. So wear a bloody helmet."
Dominic believes his dad must have "startled" the cats when he turned a corner - causing them to run out in front of him.
He said one of the animals went under Chris' front tyre and the other under the back - causing him to fall off the bicycle.
Dominic was later woken by his mum Kia Cressey, who told him there had been an "accident".
Chris' family raced to his side as medics carried out an operation to relieve pressure on his brain, which led to an improvement in his condition.
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But tragically, Chris began to decline and doctors gave Dominic the heartbreaking news he may not make it through the night.
Recalling the horror, the student said: "He said he will either go under his own steam or we will have to switch off the machines and let him drift off. So we got all the family together and we were all there with him.
“They eventually turned off his vitals and to be fair, he really did fight to the end. I put my hand on his hand and the other on his chest and then finally, he drifted off.”
Dominic said before Chris died, he placed a Bounty chocolate bar in his hand as he loved coconut.
He has now launched a to help give the dad-of-two the best possible send-off.
The family are planning to have "one big p***-up" and bring everyone together to say goodbye, Dominic said.
Paying tribute, he added: "It’s only now that I’m realising how big a man he was in the community. I don’t think anyone can ever fill those shoes.
“I’m eternally grateful to my dad and extremely grateful to everyone that donates because for the man he was, he deserves the very best.”
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