Tumble could have been fatal for Bruce Mumford

The Wingecarribee Council Access Committee member was simply trying to go up the pram ramp from the road to the footpath in his electric wheelchair, just on the corner near the ANZ bank on Wingecarribee Street in Bowral, when disaster struck.

Despite having anti-tip bars at the back of his wheelchair, the front wheels left the ground and he tipped backwards, slamming his head on the road.

“I was in casualty that night with a cut on my head - I was lucky that I came out of it with only a bruise and some scratches,” Mr Mumford said.

“My head injury was found to be not that bad, with no evidence of brain injury. I could have died.”

Mr Mumford had come into town that morning, April 28, from his home in Burrawang, thanks to Southern Highlands Community Transport.

Ironically he was in town on business for the access committee when the accident happened.

“It’s shaken my sense of freedom and independence,” he said.

“Just when you get a sense of confidence and freedom, something like this happens, and it makes you nervous about the safety of coming into town.

“That particular pram ramp on the corner near the ANZ is completely unsafe - it’s broken.

“And there are a lot of these ramps off the road onto footpaths are not up to standard across the district.

“There’s several that I know of. There’s one in Moss Vale on Clarence Street which is also in such poor condition that there’s no way someone in a wheelchair could feel safe using it,” he said.

Mr Mumford said the access committee had raised concerns before about the condition of footpath pram ramps, which put those in wheelchairs and scooters in danger.

“If these pram ramps aren’t fixed, then the only option for people who need to use them is to go onto the road - which is insane,” he said.

“My wheelchair has come close to toppling over on several footpath pram ramps, even though it his stabilising wheels design to prevent toppling over.

“Something must be done about the condition of these pram ramps - otherwise there will only be more accidents like mine. I was lucky.”