Ben Fogle has shared a traumatic near death experience, in which he was almost hit by a van at 60mph.
The television presenter explained to his fans, though, that the driver was simply following the speed limit. Sadly, the rural area in which Ben, 50, lives is becoming less safe for the villagers due to the roads.
In a lengthy post, Ben slammed the 60mph speed limit and spoke of the “irony” that he almost died so close to his home, and not on one of his televised adventures. He explained that where he lives with his family, in a village near Henley in Oxfordshire, is “idyllic”.
READ MORE: Countryfile presenter Ben Fogle eyes up ‘East End gangster’ role in Guy Ritchie film
READ MORE: Click for more brilliant Daily Star showbiz stories
However the pedestrian-unfriendly roads make it a danger zone. Ben said: “A single track road meanders through this happy little village. We have no pavements which means the road is our pavement, footpath and bridleway.
“We share it with cyclists, dogs, walkers, children, tractors, cars and delivery drivers. Incredibly. Almost unbelievably. It also happens to be the national speed limit.
“You can drive 60 miles an hour through the heart of our little village. You can drive at my daughter on her horse or the dogs on their walk at 60mph!”
He said that while out on a run with his dog recently, he was on the road as it is the only way he can access the “fewer and fewer paths and bridleways”. And that is when his terrifying encounter happened.
“A delivery driver driving at the perfectly legal, but obviously dangerous 60mph, careered around one of the many blind bends, threw on its breaks and skidded to a halt just a few feet from me and my dog,” he said.
“My life flashed before my eyes. Just as it had done when my boat capsized on the Atlantic Ocean and when my oxygen bottle exploded on Everest, but this was on a dog walk outside my home.
(Image: INSTAGRAM)
“And now I imagine my children walking along the same pavement, sorry, road. I love living here in this rural idyllic, but I don’t want to die because our local council doesn’t see fit to implement a 20mph limit for a community that relies on the road as our pavement too.
“We have imposed the 20mph in places which already have pavements. I am a risk taker, so I don’t say this lightly. Someone is going to get killed in our village. Both of my children have had near encounters with speeding traffic.
“We are not alone. There are countless other small villages out there who also live with 60mph speed limits through the heart of their community. It is common sense. Our local councillor has tried to no avail. Please help us, before we lose someone.”
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
