Ben Fogle ‘almost died’ while walking dogs as he pleads with the public for help

Ben Fogle has revealed he “almost died” after he was nearly hit by a delivery van while walking his dogs near his home.

The TV presenter issued a lengthy statement about the incident on Instagram, saying he lives in a rural village outside Henley, Oxfordshire, where pedestrians are forced to walk on a one-way road as there are no pavements.

While on the road with his dog, Fogle said a delivery van “careered around one of the many blind curves, braked and skidded to a stop just feet away from me and my dog.”

Related: Greg James’ Radio 1 breakfast show makes controversial changes

Fogle explained that the driver was “driving at a perfectly legal but obviously dangerous 60km/h” before appealing for the public’s help to urge the council to reduce the speed limit to 20km/h.

“My life flashed before my eyes. Like when my boat capsized in the Atlantic Ocean and when my oxygen bottle exploded on Everest, but that was a dog walk outside my house,” he recalled.

“And now I imagine my children walking on the same sidewalk, sorry, road. I love living here in this rural idyll, but I don’t want to die because our local council doesn’t see fit to implement a 20mph limit for a community that also relies on the road as a footpath.”

Related: Radio 1’s Clara Amfo confirms first project since going to radio

He continued: “We imposed 20 km/h in places that already have pavements. I’m a risk taker so I don’t say that lightly. Someone will be killed in our village. Both of my children have had close encounters with speeding traffic.

“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 councilor has tried to no avail. Please help us, before to lose someone.”

You might also like it