Railway path 'accident blackspot' leaves man in coma

A man who spent 10 days in a coma after his bike crashed on an uneven section of a cycle path has called for urgent repairs on the route.

Emanuele Ziglioli, 50, from Bristol, suffered a brain haemorrhage when he crashed on tarmac damaged by tree roots on the Bristol and Bath Railway Path near Warmley.

There are no official figures for injuries along the route, but after posting about the incident on Facebook, dozens of cyclists reported sustaining injuries there, with one describing the stretch as an "accident blackspot".

South Gloucestershire Council said warning signs have now been installed and repairs will take place "as soon as possible".

The 13-mile (20km) path connecting Bristol and Bath sees an estimated 1-3 million journeys every year, including cyclists and pedestrians, and is one of the only traffic-free routes in the country.

Ziglioli said he cycled towards the damaged section after coming down a hill from the nearby bridge that crosses the Bristol ring road on 22 August.

"I don't remember anything, but I hit these roots and I fell. I hit my head, I must have lost consciousness. Someone picked me up [...] and called an ambulance," he said.

Ziglioli underwent emergency surgery to relieve the brain haemorrhage, spending ten days in a coma before a further two weeks recovering in hospital.

He was not wearing a helmet on the day after struggling to set the straps to the correct fitting.

"I felt guilty that I caused so much cost on the public, but I'm also grateful that I got the help and my life was saved," he added.

Almost two months later, Ziglioli said he is recovering well, but continues to struggle with memory loss and double vision, and relies on a crutch to walk.

The council was unable to provide figures for how many injuries take place on the route each year.

But after Ziglioli posted about the incident on Facebook, cyclists reported suffering broken collarbones and jaws after crashing on the route.

One woman said she cycled past an unconscious man in the same place where Ziglioli fell and he had to be flown to hospital in an air ambulance.

Complaints about tree root damage on that stretch of the path date back to April 2025, according to Fix My Street.

Katie Moss, committee member at the Bristol Cycling Campaign, said fixing the path was a simple job.

"We know that people have been reporting issues here for quite a long time.

"It shouldn't take accidents to have to fix key arteries like this. This is almost the only fully traffic-free cycling route that we have. It's such a huge asset," she said.

A council spokesperson wished him a speedy recovery and said that since his accident their teams "inspected the area and installed warning signs".

"As with any highways issues that we are aware of across our district, repairs are assessed and prioritised, and work at this location will be carried out as soon as possible," they added.

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