A WOMAN has spoken of her confrontation with a “wheelchair menace” who she said left her with injuries which needed treatment at A&E.
Mandy Parsons, 60, from Wellington, said she spent three hours at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton after she was allegedly ‘rammed’ by a man in a mobility scooter.
While she does not want townsfolk taking matters into their own hands, she is warning other people about a man she claims is growing notorious for his “nuisance” behaviour.
Mandy contacted police about the incident and hopes others with similar experiences will do the same in order for officers to understand the issue and how it can be dealt with.
“I was not aware of him but had I known him, I would have moved out of the way,” Mandy said.
“I’m now thinking every time I walk towards somebody in a wheelchair, are they going to ram me? I would say he behaves like an absolute menace.”
Mandy said she was walking past the Iron Duke towards the traffic lights when she was shocked to see a man in a scooter hit a woman “sideways on, quite fast” as she pushed a buggy while walking with a child.
She said the collision was intentional because she claims he then turned his attention to her.
Mandy added: “Who in their right mind would do something like that? What if a lorry was coming up North Street and they were knocked into the road? It doesn't bear thinking about.
“I carried on walking to the post office and he came up behind me and hit me on the back of the legs.
“He then turned around and tried to hit me a second time. I said for ‘goodness sake, be careful, what on Earth are you doing’?
“Nobody in their right mind would do that to a woman and a child. I ended up in A&E and reported it to the police.”
Mandy said she suffers from lymphoedema in her lower legs and phoned NHS 111 for advice and was told she should go to hospital for a check-up after the impact.
She added: “I phoned 111 and asked what I ought to do about it and I was given the option of either going to Minehead or Chard, but I went to Musgrove A&E in the end. I was in for about three hours to be checked over owing to the fact I have lymphoedema, so both of my legs were X-Rayed as they wanted to be sure.”
She said other similar incidents involving dogs, in Coop and near the bus stop have also been reported to her.
Avon and Somerset Police has confirmed the incident was reported to them on March 26.
A police spokesman said: “This was reported to us on 26 March and is believed to have happened earlier that day at about 4.10pm in Wellington.
“Anyone with information can contact us online or on 101 and provide reference number 5224077938.”