A day after smashing his shoulder onto the road in a major crash near Tofino, Tour de Rock rider Steve Wright said he’s determined to finish the fundraising journey, even if it’s not on a bike.
“Am I disappointed I can’t finish the ride? Yes,” Wright said Monday, his left arm in sling. “But this is nothing compared to the daily struggles of kids with cancer.”
The 55-year-old West Shore RCMP staff sergeant suffered a separated shoulder and torn ligaments. While he doesn’t need surgery, it will take six weeks to heal, taking him out of the ride.
The accident happened when the team was about 12 kilometres into a 40-kilometre ride on the foggy highway from Ucluelet to Tofino on Sunday.
The lead car slowed down after getting a report that a rider near the back had suffered a flat tire, and the front riders had to brake hard, causing a chain reaction crash.
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Matthew Pidgeon, Adam Carruthers, Jason Bland and Wright collided and slammed into the pavement. “I didn’t have time to react,” Wright said. “I rode over top of [Pidgeon] and ended up on my left shoulder.”
Several riders behind them swerved just in time to avoid the chaos. Wright remained prone on the pavement, pain shooting into his left shoulder.
Pidgeon hit his head hard and was cheek to the pavement, not moving. Bland and Carruthers suffered minor road rash.
Saanich police rider Justin Whittaker, a former paramedic, moved in quickly, stabilizing Wright’s neck. Whittaker and the team medic got Wright onto a spinal board and waited for the ambulance to arrive. Pidgeon was also taken to the Tofino hospital and treated for a mild concussion.
Wright said Monday he has been overwhelmed by the support he received from the rest of the team.
“The members of the team were so great in providing me comfort.”
Wright’s wife, Ailsa, met the team in Parksville to be by his side.
For the RCMP officer, who has rallied the community in the West Shore and Sooke so much in the months leading up to the Tour de Rock, this is devastating news.
But Wright isn’t going to let his injury end this experience. He will continue with Tour de Rock in the support vehicle, as enthusiastic a cheerleader of his teammates as ever.
“I went down, but I’m finishing the Tour,” he said. “It’s not how you get there that matters, it’s making it to the finish line.”
