THE family of a former pub landlord from Taunton who was thrown off his motorbike following in a hit-and-run incident near Ilminster said he is lucky to be alive.

Philip Cockram, 58, was travelling from Chard towards the Southfields Roundabout at Horton Cross at around 4.50pm yesterday (July 14) when he was in collision with a car.

Police say after the collision, the dark-coloured car, believed to be a Honda Civic, drove away from the scene towards the A303.

Mr Cockram, who used to run The Flying Horse pub in Holway, was taken to hospital and had to undergo surgery on a shattered hip today (July 15).

His daughter Paula Lippiatt said she could not understand how someone could drive away and leave someone on the road.

She told the News: “They did not even stop to see if he was ok, I could not believe they did not check that another human being was ok.

“We just want the person to come forward, maybe they did not mean it but come forward and tell the police.

“It is not going away, you do not forget when you have hit someone and that could have been their relative.”

Paula said a police statement to them said their father was slowly passing queuing traffic when a car pulled out causing him to collide with the vehicle.

She said “He went over the top of his bike and our relatives were good friends with Jamie Fortune [who died in a collision on his motorbike] so this is all very close to home.

“He remembers what happened but he is still in a lot of pain and taking medications at the moment – we are all in shock.”

If you witnessed the incident, call police on 101.