Police footage shows moment cyclist, 71, is thrown into air by driver in Coventry
A warning that some people may find this footage disturbing
West Midlands Police has released footage showing the moment an elderly cyclist was thrown into the air after being hit by a driver who pulled out in front of her in Coventry.
The cyclist, who is 71, was left with a bleed on the brain, broken shoulder and broken ankle and spent five days in hospital following the collision on 6 May last year.
It happened on Wildcroft Road at its junction with Brookside Avenue and the cyclist wanted the footage to be shown to remind drivers to consider other road users.
The driver of the car, Thomas Freeman, 29, of Torrington Avenue, Coventry, has been jailed for a year after he admitted causing serious injury by careless driving.
He was also banned from driving for two years when he appeared at Warwick Crown Court on December 21, following a probe by West Midlands Police's Traffic Investigations Unit.
T/Sgt Jordan Keen, from the unit, 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.”
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