Heart-stopping moment 60mph motorcyclist plunges 40ft off a CLIFF - PHOTO+VIDEO

10:25 | 05.04.2014
Heart-stopping moment 60mph motorcyclist plunges 40ft off a CLIFF - PHOTO+VIDEO

Heart-stopping moment 60mph motorcyclist plunges 40ft off a CLIFF - PHOTO+VIDEO

A motorcyclist recorded the terrifying moment he veered off Britain's most dangerous road and tumbled down a 40-foot cliff - before escaping with only minor injuries.

Jack Sanderson, 21, was riding his 600cc Kawasaki Ninja along a notorious stretch of the Cat and Fiddle road in the Derbyshire Peak District when it slewed out of control and veered off the road.A camera fitted to his helmet captured Mr Sanderson's view as he was thrown off his machine and repeatedly somersaulted down the hill.Anyone watching the film would fear the worst but, after the tumble, the amazing footage shows Mr Sanderson getting to his feet, dusting himself down and clambering back up the hill to greet concerned onlookers who had stopped to help.He cheated death with just mild concussion and a cut hand - caused when he grabbed some barbed wire as he walked to safety.The motorbike, which stopped at the top of the ridge, was written off and is being sold off for parts.Now Jack’s brush with death has become an internet sensation after he posted the video of the 60 mph near-miss on You Tube, where it has gathered more than 100,000 views.Mr Sanderson, an engineer from Knutsford, Cheshire, said: 'I can’t believe I walked out of that, not even with a broken bone.'When I went over the ridge I was like helicopter spinning. I thought, this is it. I’m a gonner.'My bike stayed at the top of the ridge and I continued down. If my bike had followed me and crushed me, I would not be standing here today.'Mr Sanderson was was enjoying a Saturday ride when he under-steered on a corner and careered into the path of an oncoming Honda car.He added: 'I was going round the corner and I was going wider and wider and wider. When I saw the first bit of the car I knew I was in trouble.'I chose to go off the cliff, rather than hit the car - it was the best thing I could do. I thought that was me dead.'I opened my eyes at the bottom of the hill and everything was black and white.'It was either hit them and possibly kill them or swerve off the ridge possibly killing myself. It is amazing how much time you actually have in those situations, or how slow time goes by.'The couple in the silver Honda pulled over at the side of the ridge to check on Mr Sanderson only to be left stunned when he clambered up the cliff and said:  'I’m ok.'Mr Sanderson added: 'They were so gobsmacked to see me standing there, they could not believe it. ‘By the time they had got back to where it happened I popped back over the ridge.'They were obviously very worried indeed. I did apologise to them as that must have been a dreadful ordeal for them. I suppose I felt somewhat invincible because I didn’t even have a broken bone and I walked away.'Mr Sanderson went to hospital the day after the incident last month and apart from some mild concussion and a cut on his hand from some barbed wire he unhurt and sent home the next day.Mr Sanderson hopes others will learn from his mistake. He said: 'I put it on You Tube as a kind of deterrent to others not to be as stupid as I was.'I always have a Go-Pro camera on my head, it’s just for fun normally - but also there if anything more serious happens like this.'For some reason I always go wide on that corner and I did it again and it nearly cost me my life. The Cat and Fiddle Road is one of the most dangerous roads in the country, mainly for bikers.''It’s worth putting the video up on You Tube - even with the negative comments, if it stops others making the same mistake as me.'It’s amazing how many people have seen the video. I put it on there as a warning to others as much as anything. I’m a good rider and we often think we are better than we are. If you are going to be stupid things like this will happen.'The A537 Cat and Fiddle Road between Macclesfield, Cheshire, and Buxton, Derbyshire has been repeatedly been branded Britain’s most dangerous due its severe bends and steep drops.The Road Safety Foundation charity report compared accident rates with the amount of traffic using the road and also found many of the crashes involved motorcyclists.The reports began in 2002 and since then the A537 has been top in eight out of 12 reports. There were 44 serious or fatal crashes on the seven-mile stretch of road between 2007 and 2011. Between 2002 and 2006, there were 35.Road safety experts have said the route’s 'grim reputation' is also part of the problem with bikers and motorists seeing it as a 'challenge.'Motorcycle friendly crash barriers have also been installed on one of the worst affected parts of the route.But Buxton mechanic Gary Ward, who recovers many of the vehicles after accidents on the road, said: 'Many of the crashes involve motorcyclists going too fast.''They often end up going down grass banking or hitting a wall - sometimes people do get away with scratches and bruises but most the time they are seriously injured. If they are going over 50mph it can be pretty bad for a biker.'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az

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