Biker fights for his sight after road rage attack
A BIKER fears he could go blind after being repeatedly punched in the face in a vicious road rage attack.
Nicolas Pacheco, who was still wearing his crash helmet, was hit so hard that its visor smashed, gashing his eyelid and damaging his vision.
Doctors cannot say if he will regain sight in his right eye.
The 36-year-old was riding his motorcycle on the A283, near the Old Cement Works at Upper Beeding, when he was subjected to the unprovoked attack which left him drifting in and out of consciousness.
Mr Pacheco, a learner driver, claimed that despite a queue of traffic witnessing the assault, not one person went to his aid.
He said: “My face is pretty bad and I am scared about it but I suppose it could have been a lot worse.”
The coffee shop manager, of Janeston Court, Wilbury Crescent, Hove, said his attacker had been so close behind him he could not read his number plate.
He said: “The driver came up really close to my motorcycle and tried pushing me to go faster but I am just a learner and have L plates on my bike. I thought he was going to run me off the road.”
Mr Pacheco said the man eventually cut between him and another car to overtake and then braked violently, forcing him to slam his own brakes on to avoid a collision.
He said before he had chance to get off his bike, the man got out of his car and began punching him in the face.
He said: “He broke my visor and continued to punch me. My bike fell on top of me and he punched me while I was on the floor.
“I did not have a chance to defend myself. He eventually left and drove away but all the cars which were queued up just drove around me.
“A motorcyclist going the other way turned round and came over to help me and called for an ambulance.”
Mr Pacheco was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton after the incident, which happened at about 5pm on Sunday, and was kept in overnight.
He suffered cuts to the right side of his face and hardly has any vision in his right eye. Doctors are unable to tell him whether his sight will recover.
He said: “I am a bit shaken, not just because of what happened but because of the reaction of people in general. If you see someone lying in the road, you would go and help them. But apart from the motorcyclist, no one stopped. The whole incident was quite frightening and it happened so quickly.”
Marc Oakden, Mr Pacheco’s partner, said doctors told him the pressure caused by swelling around the eye could be contributing to his loss of sight.
He said: “He’s very depressed and extremely scared. I was totally shocked and devastated when I saw him. He would never do anything wrong to anybody. He was just out for a harmless ride on his bike and this happened.”
Mr Pacheco said the attacker was foreign, possibly Portuguese, in his mid-forties, 6ft 1in and heavily built, with very short, light hair, which was balding. He spoke with a heavy accent.
He was driving a silver car, possibly a Rover, with a girl, aged about eight, in the passenger seat.
The attack has been reported to Sussex Police who are asking anyone who witnessed it to call them on 0845 6070999.
Disgusting that this could happen .. but just as bad that nobody cared...apart from another biker........... just goes to show,eh?
Get Well Soon Mr Pacheo and I hope you soon get back on your bike.
I've just picked up on this and it is totally outrageous that someone should get away with this. I know someone who suffered a similar attack from a white van man in London. She had her visor smashed by his fists which was potentially more serious since she is a spectacle wearer. Fortunately another motorcyclist arrived on the scene and chased the perp off before too much damage could be done. Details of the van and driver were passed on to the fuzz who traced him, spoke to him but chose to do nothing since, they claimed, he had had a bad day and could lose his livelihood!
We really shouldn't let this scum get away with it. However, I wonder what would happen to any motorcyclists fighting back or intervening and giving the aggressor a good kicking - probably more serious consequences than someone who makes an unprovoked attack.
thinkin of livin in Spain this winter seems so disciplined on the roads there never encountered or saw any any hostilitie,noone tried to beat me at the lights or stop me movin in front of em didnt see any boy racer types, they mus be really tolerant to bikers as theres so many scooters an the like about, most car drivers probably own scooters an bikes,[loads gave the biker salute to me]or there kids and some rellies do, maybe makin them more tolerant,or the heat makes em laid back an not bothered about gettin steamed up over minor trivialities!only grumble was they tend to cut in rather close when overtakin on the motorways!
As a dual carriage way was blocked on the inside lane, I waved that a car could come out in front of me to go into the filtering. The guy flicked two fingers and mouthed a series of anglo saxon phrases. Why is there so much aggression on the road. The guy was in a family MPV with his wife and kids, so why?
It's something I'm not used to, or at least had forgotten about while in the US. There you don't gesticulate, just in case they carry.
I have a theory. Too many rats in too small a space.
i have to say i dont come across much if any real agression on the road maybe it s the way i ride not being agressive or taking to many chances i see reckless driving but am looking far ahead to counter this, i pull over for tailgaters dont take chances at roundabouts always thank drivers for pullin over which most do when filtering maybe its the area i live in maybe more dodgy oop north!ive had boy racers racing me at lights etc but i let em go [one hit a car in his haste to beat me!!] also aware at goin home times as peeps tend to race home, jus gotta be aware that some peeps are out to kill you
Its a vicious chain reaction , and connected to the urgency of todays lifestyle , as Tangoman was saying he never saw this in Spain as the peeps were laid back and i guess more forgiving , in Europe i got the finger from a few drivers for no apparent reason , this in turn started getting my back up 'chain reaction' .
I'd love to be able to stop these people and ask them why? Why do they believe that them getting 6 feet further ahead is worth killing me for. Is worth their time in court, the extra costs they will incur in insurance. The possible job loss, even remorse that they might suffer.
I'd love to stop them and ask, but know that the result would be four letter words and a possible escalation of anger. I'd love to be a bike cop and do it...because speed/safety cameras can't.
cant ride a bike /envy of those who can/que up mentality/or just sick had em all.wind em up an watch em self destruct if ya can .avoid em if ya can,t. some of them realise the car they bought aint never gona beet the bike so they try to beat the biker.
Shocking and awful as the actual attack was, (and I'll never get my head round why people believe they have the right to attack another person like that)................I am if possible more horrified by the fact that no-one tried to help the victim How could anyone just sit in their car and not go to his aid?????
I'm totally totally appalled...it makes me feel so sick....I hope he does regain his sight and some person steps forward to help him get justice (mind you I don't have much faith in the system..long story I was assaulted nearly 3yrs ago and was left with a permanent neck injury of 20% the CPS said there was not enough evidence...only witnesses. medical reports photographs etc etc! so the purbitrator got away with it)
GET WELL SOON...and don't let anyone put you off getting back onto your bike again!!!
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