Shocking moment driver sends pensioner cyclist flying in horror crash, leaving her with broken bones and brain bleed
28 December 2023, 20:41
Shocking moment driver sends cyclist flying
This is the terrifying moment a reckless driver sent a cyclist in her 70s spinning through the air, leaving her with serious injuries that saw her hospitalised for days.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Thomas Freeman, 29, smashed into the 71-year-old woman in Coventry on May 6 after he pulled out in front of her.
Shocking footage shows her flying through the air after the collision with the Citroen C3 Flair at the junction of Wildcroft Road and Brookside Avenue in the west Midlands city.
She was left with a breed to the brain, a broken ankle and broken shoulder, and spent five days in hospital.
Freeman of Torrington Avenue, Coventry, admitted causing serious injury by careless driving after an investigation by West Midlands Police's traffic unit.
He has been jailed and banned from driving for two years after appearing at Warwick Crown Court on December 21.
Police released the footage with the cyclist's permission as a warning to other drivers to be careful on the roads.
Sergeant Jordan Keen said: "This was an appalling piece of careless driving which left the cyclist badly injured.
"She is an experienced cyclist and a member of a local cycling club, but it’s clear from the footage that Freeman’s careless driving when crossing the junction meant she stood no chance.
"I hope that drivers who see this footage know that they have a responsibility to more vulnerable road users out there, such as cyclists and pedestrians.”
