A Tesco truck driver involved in a collision in London last year that led to a cyclist losing her leg has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving.
Florin Oprea, 24, has been charged with driving without due care and attention and causing serious injury by dangerous driving in Old Street on 4 October last year.
He pleaded not guilty to both charges at Highbury magistrates court on Wednesday.
The court heard that the cyclist, Julie Dinsdale, had to have her leg amputated and was lucky to be alive.
Counsel for the crown, Aislinn Rice, told the deputy district judge, Tim Godfrey, the cyclist “was very fortunate to be still with us” and the “vehicle went over the wheel of her bicycle and her leg” at a traffic-lighted junction.
Her life was saved by quick medical attention at the scene, she said.
She told Godfrey that Dinsdale was an experienced cyclist in London.
“The driver had only been in London for four months and had only been driving for Tesco for four days and this was the first day he was unaccompanied,” she said.
John Harrison, counsel for the driver, said the prosecution case would be contested and that it was not dangerous driving.
Indicating that the case was too serious to be dealt with in a magistrates court, Godfrey directed that the case be heard at Blackfriars crown court on 25 May.
- This article was amended on 27 April 2016. An earlier version said Oprea was charged with driving with undue care and attention. This has been corrected.
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