Former AFL star Glenn Archer has apologised after his truck collided with a cyclist, leaving them with life-changing injuries.
Archer said he didn’t realise he had hit anyone while driving in Heidelberg, Melbourne, on January 11, which is why he claims he did not stop.
“He just swerved in and took me out and drove off and didn‘t stop,” Cyclist Mark Vander told Nine News.
“I just get angry all the time now, mentally it just breaks you,” Mr Vander said.
“To leave me dying in the ditch and drive off.
“It could have been a lot worse, if I wasn‘t wearing such a good helmet I wouldn’t be here telling the story.”
Archer was driving on Rosanna Road when the crash occurred, forcing the 58-year-old to spend two nights in hospital.
“I am terribly sorry for what happened absolutely,” he said.
Dashcam footage shows Archer’s truck running into the cyclist.
Archer said at first he thought he was being scammed when he got calls claiming his truck had hit a cyclist, but then he viewed the footage and realised what had happened.
“I thought ‘wow, I did knock the guy off the bike’,” he said.
Archer, 49, has been charged with careless driving and failing to keep a safe distance when overtaking.
He will appear at Heidelberg Magistrates court in July.
Archer played for North Melbourne for his entire career and won two premierships with the club in 1996 and 1999.