A retired Walkden teacher who was battered senseless for telling a young Mercedes driver to slow down has condemned the culture of ‘big egos driving flash cars’ as he relived his ordeal today.
Peter Stringer, 71, was walking two dogs through a city suburb when the luxury car passed by him travelling at over 40mph in the 30mph zone. Fearing one of his dogs might get agitated and dart into the road, Mr Stringer put his hand out and shouted at the driver to slow down.
But the motorist, an Asian man, believed to be aged around 30, spotted him in his rear view mirror, suddenly stopped the car and reversed quickly towards him.
He then leapt out of the Mercedes and without uttering a word punching the grandfather so hard to the face, the blow fractured his jaw in two places and momentarily knocked him unconscious. He then drove off leaving the victim lying in a daze by the roadside.
Mr Stringer managed to stagger home to raise the alarm and later underwent treatment for his injuries which also included a fractured finger. He now has bruises to his face and his left arm is in a sling.
Today as police hunted the attacker Mr Stringer a former PE teacher from Walkden, Greater Manchester said: “There are definitely too many idiot drivers and, sadly, it seems once a driver develops bad habits – particular a hot-headed one – it sticks with them for life just as it has done with this man.
“I get fed up with all this road rage that goes on. The problem is that young drivers are so daft especially when at the wheel of powerful cars.
“There are idiots with big egos and flashy cars rushing to get places and other people like pedestrians and cyclists just seem to get in their way – I just cannot understand why anyone would want to risk the lives of themselves and others just to get somewhere.
“What are the punishments here for speeding or driving whilst using a mobile? A fine and a slap on the wrist and that’s why it doesn’t faze people – they think they own the road and only realise their errors when they are in a serious crash and for some it could be too late.”
The incident occurred at 7.30pm on Sunday when Mr Stringer, whose wife is an optician dispenser, was walking his mother-in-law’s dogs Frankie, a black Staffordshire bull terrier, and Tilly, a Collie cross on Old Clough Road in Walkden.
He added: “It was just a spur of the moment decision to walk the dogs as I had been in all day and wanted to get out of the house.
“The road is notorious for people driving too fast and they aren’t all young, some of them are older and should know better. Traffic calming measures were put in place a year ago and it wasn’t too bad but a year later people got familiar with the roads and the speeding started again.
“It is very dangerous, this guy was going 40mph in the 30mph zone and Frankie can be quite unpredictable and dart out so all I did was put my hand out and shout ‘slow down.’ But this guy slammed his brakes on completely and reversed at speed toward me.
“At this point, I grabbed both the dogs but as I did so he got out the car, walked towards me and that’s when he hit me without saying a word – he must have thought I was younger because he saw that I didn’t have my dentures in and sped off in his car.
“I didn’t have my hands free, I was too busy protecting my dogs, he knocked me unconscious and when I woke up I staggered home, I have broken my jaw in two places and fractured my finger.
“This guy was probably not the youngest driver on the roads – but even at the age of 30 he should know better.
“What is shocking is that I tried to advise this guy, he could have killed someone yet his ego was so big no doubt because he had a flash car that he attacked me.
“I drive a little Nissan Micra, because we don’t need a big car – but it’s very intimating when you are safely driving and a giant Land Rover is pushing you to go faster. How many more times are we going to read in the news that someone else has been killed because of some idiot driver?
“Laws need to be tougher, it’s all well and good to say ‘make tests harder’ but you can never tell if a new driver is going to end up being a speed demon. Penalties must be more extreme, longer bans – that will teach them.
“When it comes to driving and the road these drivers seem to forget that speeding they are not only risking their lives but other lives too – and some of these have over 10 years’ experience driving on the road, if you want to speed do it on your own road, on one away from pensioners and children – and certainly don’t attack someone for trying to make the roads safer.”
The yob is described as an Asian male, aged about 30 years old and standing between 5ft 8in and 5ft 9in tall, with an athletic build. He had a sallow complexion, short, black hair and a short, trimmed beard. He was wearing smart casual clothing.
Det Con Paul Davies of Greater Manchester Police said: “The victim has been left understandably shaken by this unprovoked assault and I believe the injuries would have been more severe had the victim not fallen onto a grass verge.
“The offender has thought nothing of fleeing the scene and did not even call an ambulance.
“Unfortunately no witnesses to this assault have come forward and the victim came too on the grass verge alone, with no one around to check on his welfare.
“It was a cowardly act and I ask for anybody with information about this incident or think they may have seen a vehicle matching that description driving erratically in the area at the time to contact police.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 5097 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Story via Cavendish Press
