Ben Fogle has revealed he ‘nearly died’ this week after almost being hit by delivery van near his home in the village of Fawley outside Henley, Oxfordshire.
The TV adventurer, 50, said it was ‘ironic’ it the incident had not happened during one of his trips to the jungle or desert, before claiming his two children had also nearly come close to the injury due to the area’s current 60mph speed limit.
In a lengthy Instagram post he explained the recalled the terrifying occurrence happened during a walk with one of his six dogs, with the vehicle narrowly missing the beloved pet.
Ben, who shares son Ludo, 15, and 13-year-old daughter Iona, with daughter Marina, made a desperate plea to reduce the current speed saying it was ‘common sense’ before a fatality occurred.
Writing: ‘I nearly died yesterday. Not on Everest or in some remote jungle. Not on an Ocean or in a desert, but on a small single track lane outside my home in rural Oxfordshire.
Ben Fogle, 50, has revealed he ‘nearly died’ this week after almost being hit by delivery van near his home in the village of Fawley outside Henley, Oxfordshire.
The TV adventurer said it was ‘ironic’ it had not happened during one of his trips to the jungle or desert (poctured in the Scottish Highlands)
He went on to claim his two children had also nearly come close to the injury due to the area’s current 60mph speed limit (L-R) Iona, 13, Ludo 15,
‘Given the things I have done and the risks I have taken, it feels a little ironic that my own near death experience should happen so close to home. Let me explain…’
‘We live in a pretty little village outside of Henley. It is home to several hundred people. We have a church, a cricket field and a village green as well as a village hall.
‘We used to have a village pub until it was bought by a developer, and then ‘mysteriously’ burnt down, and was raised to the ground within a day (sound familiar?) I digress.
He continued: ‘Ours is an idyllic little community with children, dogs, horses, farmers and a thriving social community.
‘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!!!!
Going on to say: ‘While my daughter rides her pony along the road because it is the only way to reach the fewer and fewer bridleways, delivery drivers race at the legal 60mph around blind bends to meet home delivery time targets.
In a lengthy post he explained how the incident occurred during a walk with one of his six dogs, with the vehicle narrowly missing the beloved pet
Taking to Instagram Ben, who shares son Ludo, 15, and 13-year-old daughter Iona, with daughter Marina, made a desperate plea to reduce the current speed saying it was ‘common sense’ before a fatality occurred.
n a lengthy post he wrote: ‘I nearly died yesterday. Not on Everest or in some remote jungle. Not on an Ocean or in a desert, but on a small single track lane outside my home in rural Oxfordshire
‘While my son cycles on his bike with the dogs, day visitors, blindly following sat nav and the 60mph speed limit career along the single track pavement, sorry road.
‘The only way I can reach the limited footpaths is on the same single track road that I must share with 60mph delivery drivers Which brings me back to my near death experience…
‘I was running along the road with my dog at my side. I don’t run along the road because I want to run on the road but most land is private. I run along the road because it is the only way to reach the fewer and fewer paths and bridleways.
‘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 continued: ‘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.
He then captioned the post saying that a member of the Buckinghamshire Council cabinet for Transport guidance has said the speed limit had been ‘set against the “department transport guidance”‘
Before concluding no changes would be made until there was a serious accident (Village of Henley pictured)
‘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.
Before adding: ‘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.’
He then captioned the post saying that a member of the Buckinghamshire Council cabinet for Transport guidance has said the speed limit had been ‘set against the “department transport guidance”‘.
Before concluding no changes would be made until there was a serious accident.
MailOnline have contacted Buckinghamshire Council for comment.
