A Scots dad has been left with a back brace after he was mowed down by a hit and run driver in Blantyre.
Mark Richards, from East Kilbride, was cycling on Spittal Terrace on Saturday when he was struck by a dark coloured Vauxhall Insignia in the cycle lane.
The active dad-of-two was left bleeding at the side of the road as the callous driver sped off from the scene.
A passerby spotted Mark and waited with him until emergency services arrived.
The 50-year-old was rushed to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital with serious injuries.
Medics found the NHS worker had suffered three spinal fractures and severe road rash from the collision.
Mark, who works as the clinical director of nursing at Carstairs State Hospital, now faces three months in a spinal brace and a long journey to recovery.
He is being treated by a team of spinal specialists but the passionate cyclist doesn't know if he will ever be able to return to the sport.
Speaking from his hospital bed Mark told the Record: "I want to thank everyone who helped me on the day, and the police who are working hard to find the driver.
"I want to emphasise the importance of giving cyclists space on the road."
His devastated wife Carol, 46, told the Record of the terrifying moment she received a phone call from a stranger to inform her her husband had been knocked down.
She said: "I found out almost immediately after it happened.
"One of the passersby had used Mark's phone to ring me. I was relieved that he hadn't been killed.
"He gave me directions and I just jumped straight in the car. When I got there he was in a lot of pain.
"As soon as I arrived, I asked 'where is the driver?'.
"When they told me the driver didn't stop, I couldn't believe it.
"What if there hadn't been a passerby? What if it was a country road? Would they have just left him lying there?"
"He was in the cycle lane, this was totally avoidable. He had a previous accident and he always thought this route was safest."
Carol then had the difficult job of telling her worried daughters Orla, 11, and, 8, that their dad had been taken to hospital after an accident.
An MRI on Monday showed Mark had three spinal fractures in his lower back as well as severe road rash making it painful for him to move.
The couple are desperate for police to find the driver but hope Mark's situation will serve as an appeal to motorists to drive with caution around cyclists.
Carol said her husband, who has barely had a day off work in 30 years now facing months of long-term leave.
Making a direct appeal to the driver, Carol said: "Whatever reason you had that day to make that terrible mistake - the only thing you can do now is come forward and speak to the police.
"It will not do anything to help Mark’s injuries but it will help Mark and I think it will speed up his recovery.
"There is a pretty bad attitude towards cyclists. Whatever your opinion on them, that person is important to someone - give them room.
"People need to remember every cyclist is a father, a son, a daughter, a niece."
Sergeant Raymond Giulianotti, East Kilbride Police Station, said: "I have no doubt that the driver of the car would have known that they struck the cyclist who was seriously injured as a result.
"A number of witnesses have already come forward, however, we are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have dash-cam footage from the area at the time.
"If you were either on Spittal Terrace or A724, Hamilton Road, heading from Blantyre to Cambuslang between 11.10 am and 11.30 am on Saturday morning, then please get in touch with officers.
"No matter how insignificant you think any information is please make police aware as it may assist in our enquiries."
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