Police report shows pedalling and waving at same time not easy for Bush
February 27, 2006 Edition 3
Arifa Akbar
London - The police report describes him as a "falling object" who lost control of his bicycle after being overwhelmed by the challenge of pedalling and waving at the same time.
So ends the mystery of how President Bush collided into - and injured - a police officer while cycling at Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland on the first day of the G8 summit.
The full explanation of how the president of the United States managed to career into a Strathclyde police constable while taking a ride at the Perthshire resort, revealed yesterday how his attempt to wave and shout "Thanks, you guys, for coming" went wrong.
Anti-riot police had been deployed to the area on July 6 last year to prevent demonstrators from entering the hotel's rear entrance, where world leaders had gathered.
The police report details how raising his arm and shouting thanks to the officers triggered a serious case of the wobbles for Bush.
The report gives a blow-by- blow account of the lead-up to the accident. It reads: "(The unit) was requested to cover the road junction on the Auchterarder to Braco Road as the president of the USA, George Bush, was cycling through.
"At about 18.00 hours the president approached the junction at speed on the bicycle. The road was damp at the time. As the president passed the junction at speed, he raised his left arm from the handlebars to wave to the police officers present while shouting 'Thanks, you guys, for coming'.
"As he did this, he lost control of the cycle, falling to the ground, causing both himself and his bicycle to strike (the officer) on the lower legs. (The officer) fell to the ground, striking his head."
The report goes on to divulge how Bush skidded 5 metres along the road, after knocking down the officer, who was off duty for 14 weeks after the accident.
It reads: "The president continued along the ground for approximately five metres, causing himself a number of abrasions. The officers … then assisted both injured parties."
The injured officer received a phone call of apology while on his way to Perth Royal Infirmary, where he was treated for damage to his ankle ligaments and issued with a pair of crutches.
The White House initially claimed the policeman had recovered within hours of the prang. The collision could have led to a police fine, and Strathclyde Police last year issued three fixed-penalty notices as part of a clamp on rogue riders.
Bush's injuries - including scrapes to his hands - were, by comparison, far less severe, although his dignity may have suffered a dent. Afterwards, he shrugged off the incident, joking that he should start "acting my age".
This was not the first time he lost control on a bike. In 2004 he fell off his mountain bike on his ranch in Texas, suffering grazes on his face, knees and right hand.
And in June 2003 he fell off his hi-tech Segway scooter.
