AN e-scooter rider has revealed his shocking injuries after a pothole sent him faceplanting into the road.
CCTV footage captured George Balkwill, 32, hitting the crevice in the road outside a pub, causing him to crash.
The pothole was reportedly 14cm deep and filled with water, and to the Voi scooter rider, looked like a “puddle”.
George is now suffering a “painful and slow” recovery with a “disfigured” face and has demanded urgent government action.
The 32-year-old was heading to a friend’s house on Saturday when the e-scooter he was riding hit a pothole and he was flung over the handle bars, landing hard onto his face.
Workers and patrons of The Red Lion pub in Old Marston, Oxford rushed to help George, who was left lying face down on the road after the brutal smash.
And George – who works as a Fundraiser for the University of Oxford – has now blasted the state of the roads.
The disgruntled scooter rider claimed they were “beyond just ‘bad’, they’re dangerous”.
George said: “I remember vividly staring at the tarmac, unable to move while hearing cars passing by, the unmistakable taste of blood in my mouth and the real panic I felt about the extent of my injuries.
“It was only once I got to A&E that I realised how serious my accident was and how lucky I am that it wasn’t much worse.”
He suffered facial injuries to his chin, lips, nose and forehead and is facing months on the road to recovery after the accident on Oxford Road.
George thanked the staff and patrons at the Red Lion, as well as the paramedics and hospital staff who treated him, for showing the “best of human kindness and care”.
And he said this behaviour was the “antithesis of how the council treats the people of Oxford”.
The road its on is one of few managed and maintained by Oxford City Council rather than the county council.
Mr Balkwill said: “Given that I am now recovering from a horrible crash with a very disfigured face and am finding it difficult to speak and eat, I think the state of the roads here is be beyond just ‘bad’, they are dangerous.
“I’m told that the council have filled in the pothole on Tuesday and that it has been there in such a bad state for a very long time without repair.
“It does beg the question: is this what it takes to get a pothole fixed – a visit to the trauma unit?”
George also described how “negligence” of the roads has created demand for the hospital and impacted his life significantly, as he now requires time off work to recover.
“It highlights how investment in roads is essential and that this issue should be addressed immediately,” George added.
“The council should not have approved the Voi scooters if they are unable or unwilling to provide the infrastructure for them to be ridden safely.”
The city council confirmed the pothole was filled in on Tuesday February 17 after being inspected by contractor ODS on February 3.
It was assessed as a category two defect which requires a fix within 28 days – the council pointed out it was filled in 14.
Councillor Nigel Chapman, cabinet member for citizen focused services and council companies, said: “We fully recognise the frustration residents feel about the condition of some of the city’s roads.
“We acknowledge that this particular pothole has deteriorated since it was first inspected.
“Weather and traffic conditions can cause defects to worsen quickly, which is why timely reporting and scheduled repairs are so important.
“For minor roads in the city, the County Council sets the budget and ODS, as the main contractor, carries out inspections and repairs. ODS works to the same standards used by the County Council to prioritise and address defects.
“Since April 2025, more than 3,000 defects on the city’s roads and pathways have been repaired. We currently have three times the usual number of repair teams out across the city addressing potholes as quickly as possible.
“We would continue to encourage residents to report any road damage using Fix My Street so that issues can be inspected and repaired as necessary.”
The landlady at the pub, Diana Berry, said: “A woman came in shouting that somebody’s fallen in the pothole, and we all rushed out to help.
“We diverted traffic and tried to make him comfortable, but we didn’t want to move him because he said his neck was hurting.
“He’d gone straight over the scooter onto his face.”
The landlady said he had since been back in to thank the pub staff for their assistance on the scene, and assured them he was okay.
“It’s the first time someone’s fallen in it,” Diana added, “but it’s the second time it’s been filled.
“It’s very worrying.”
