Cyclist dies from injuries after Storm Henk gusts knocked him off his bike
A cyclist who was likely blown from his bike during Storm Henk on Tuesday night died from his injuries early Wednesday morning, police said. The 75-year-old man was biking in his hometown of Wintelre, Noord-Brabant, at a time when some of the strongest wind gusts were recorded.
"We are of the belief that the strong wind played a role in the victim's fall," police said in a brief statement. There were no other vehicles involved in the accident at around 10:20 p.m. on Groenstraat in Wintelre, which is just west of Eindhoven.
At the time of the accident, sustained winds were persistent at about 50 kilometers per hour, with gusts of up to 81 kilometers per hour in Eindhoven, according to data from an automatic weather station operated by the national meteorological service, KNMI. The entire province of Noord-Brabant was in the middle of a Code Yellow Weather Warning for the strong winds brought by the storm from about 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Several ambulances were dispatched to Wintelre starting at 10:20 p.m. A trauma team was also sent by helicopter to Groenstraat a few minutes later. Firefighters were also asked to screen off the area for privacy while medical personnel treated the victim.
"His next of kin have been informed. We wish them strength with their loss," police said.
