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The day Boris Johnson's aide ran me over
Paul Rimple in Georgia and Katharine Barney7 Oct 2009
A man told today how he was knocked down and left crippled by Boris Johnson's motorcycle-riding transport adviser.
Tariel Ivanishvili, 44, suffered broken legs, a broken hip and fractured skull when Kulveer Ranger hit him during a charity ride through the former Soviet state of Georgia.
The father of daughters aged nine and five may not be able to walk for at least 11 months after the accident in the village of Nakhshirgele, close to the country's second city, Kutaisi.
Doctors considered amputating Mr Ivanishvilli's legs, so severe were his injuries. He was run over by two other motorbikes after being knocked down by Mr Ranger, who was riding a borrowed BMW for the 2,500-mile rally to Tbilisi to raise money for the Shooting Star Children's Hospice in London.
Mr Ivanishvili has seven metal pins holding his right femur together, and a steel brace keeps his twice-broken left leg in one piece.
Today he and his family spoke for the first time of his ordeal — for which he does not blame the City Hall adviser.
The Georgian sponsors of the rally, sparkling wine makers JSC Bagrationi, had Mr Ivanishvili moved to a hospital in Kutaisi — where Mr Ranger visited him — and vowed to get him walking again, according to his family.
His wife Lela said: “Mr Ranger is a very nice man. He came to see us twice and promised to pay for all expenses, and then left suddenly.”
Mr Ivanishvili said Mr Ranger was keen to see he was recovering. “When he [Mr Ranger] came to visit his eyes were so scared — he could have killed me, you know, and I just smiled back at him. We shook hands and he joked, You'll see, after your full recovery we'll play football together in England.'”
JSC Bagrationi is paying for the care, according to the family's lawyer, Ermile Cheishvili. The first operation cost £6,400 and two more are required.
Mr Cheishvili said: “The doctors will be able to tell us if he can walk in 11 months. No charges were brought against Ranger. Bagrationi has no legal obligation to cover expenses but has, and the family is deeply grateful.”
However, Mr Ivanishvili, who earned £101 a month at a metallurgical plant, has not been told whether he will receive compensation for loss of earnings. The family, who live in a dilapidated flat in the village, say they did not ask for money to avoid appearing to be greedy. They say they have not heard from Mr Ranger for more than a month.
Mr Ranger's group left London on 15 August, riding through France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia and Turkey and arriving in Georgia eight days later.
Mr Ranger, 34, was treated in hospital himself and questioned by Georgian police, who held his passport for a fortnight until officials in London negotiated a return home. Today he said: “I feel terribly bad and sorry for the poor man, but there really was nothing I could do to stop it. I was suffering bruised ribs but I was very concerned he was all right. I wish him all the best and hope he makes a full recovery.”
Reader views (8)
Anon, there is no mention of brain damage.
- Paul Rimple, Tbilisi Georgia, 10/04/2010 17:05
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So Mr Ranger was riding a bike in Georgia and had an accident - unfortunate for him and more so for the man he hit. But does one ACCIDENT have any bearing at all on Mr Ranger's ability to create and implement transport policy on the future of London? No I thought not.
- Nigel, London, 12/10/2009 16:37
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I think I can smell a com-pen-say-shun claim coming on.
- P Staker, Londonistan., 07/10/2009 23:19
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the Georgian's head is in remarkably good condition given he's suffered a fractured skull, and he comes across as perfectly lucid for a someone with brain damage. Amazing! Poor Kulveer. no wonder politicians are so afraid of getting "out of the house before they get into the house".
- Anon, london, 07/10/2009 17:03
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So the transport adviser is as bad a cyclist as Boris, who freely admits to running red lights and cycling on the pavements of the city for whose transport he is responsible !
- Keith Price, Luton England, 07/10/2009 16:07
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Why on earth is Boris Johnston;s name even mentioned? It's like saying Tory/Labour Voter burgles church. Totally irrelevent and definitely not news.
- Aylyn, Orihuela Costa, 07/10/2009 16:02
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I wish newspapers would stop using the names of prominent people who happen to have some sort of link to the subject to sensationalise their stories.. Boris Johnson is no more responsible for this accident than Princes William or Harry are for whatever the third cousing removed of their friend's neighbour may have done..
- Beatriz, London, 07/10/2009 15:51
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It would seem that the green cross code hasn't made it to Georgia yet.
- Sarah, London, 07/10/2009 14:07
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