Shocking CCTV footage released after driver is jailed for causing horror crash which sent cyclist spinning into the air

The 71-year-old cyclist was left with a bleed on the brain, broken shoulder and broken ankle and spent five days in hospital.

Thomas Freeman was the driver of the Citroen C3 Flair who pulled out in front of her.

The crash happened on May 6 on Wildcroft Road at its junction with Brookside Avenue in Coventry.

The 29-year-old, of Torrington Avenue, Coventry, admitted causing serious injury by careless driving and has now been jailed for a year.

He was also banned from driving for two years when he appeared at Warwick Crown Court on December 21, following a probe by the traffic investigations unit at West Midlands Police.

The police force today released CCTV footage of the incident to highlight the responsibility drivers have to more vulnerable road users.

Sgt Jordan Keen, from the 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.”