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A 50-year-old Montreal woman says she\u2019s lucky to be alive after hitting a pothole while cycling in the city last month \u2014 an accident that left her in a coma for a week.<\/p>\n
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On July 18, M\u00e9lanie Guindon was riding her bike southbound on Guy Street near downtown when one of her wheels got stuck in a deep pothole near the bike path just before the intersection with St-Jacques Street.<\/p>\n
The impact sent the young grandmother of three flying over the handlebars, landing on her elbows and hitting her head. She was not wearing a helmet, an unfortunate choice she says she regrets.<\/p>\n
A passerby called 911, and Guindon was taken by ambulance to the Montreal General Hospital, where she was placed in a medically induced coma twice due to the severity of her injuries. She says she suffered a severe head trauma with bleeding.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThere was a high risk I would die in the first 24 hours,\u201d Guindon said in an interview with Global Tuesday. \u201cIt\u2019s a miracle.\u201d<\/p>\n
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When she came out of the coma in early August, she said she struggled to think clearly or speak in full sentences.<\/p>\n
Now recovering at home, Guindon, an artist and massage therapist, has been unable to return to work. She says she\u2019s still unable to ride a bike or drive a car and describes herself as \u201ca prisoner\u201d in her home.<\/p>\n
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The woman\u2019s near-fatal accident has raised further concerns about the condition of Montreal\u2019s roads. According to the city\u2019s auditor general report released this week, nearly 25 per cent of streets are in poor condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not surprising,\u201d said Nicolas Ryan, a spokesperson for CAA-Quebec. \u201cWe need to have a discussion at all levels of government \u2014 where is the money, and how can we reinvest in our roads to make them safer?\u201d<\/p>\n
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