This is the moment an elderly cyclist was sent flying through the air after a driver ploughed into her.
The 71-year-old woman was left with a bleed on the brain after being hit by a Citroen C3 Flair being driven by Thomas Freeman, 29, in Coventry.
Shocking CCTV footage captured the horror collision, which happened on Wildcroft Road at the junction with Brookside Avenue on May 6 this year.
Freeman can be seen pulling out in front of the cyclist, who is in hi-vis clothing, sending her spinning 360 degrees through the air before she slams into the ground.
The driver and his passenger then rush from the car to the woman’s aid as she lies motionless in the street.
The cyclist spent five days in hospital being treated for multiple injuries, which also included a broken shoulder and a broken ankle.
Freeman, of Coventry, admitted causing serious injury by careless driving and was jailed for a year at Warwick Crown Court on December 21.
He was also banned from driving for two years.
Today West Midlands Police released the footage, with the agreement of the victim, to ‘highlight the responsibility drivers have to more vulnerable road users’.
Technical Sergeant Jordan Keen, from the force’s traffic investigations 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.’
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.