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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Bronwen Weatherby

Horror motorbike crash which left man fighting for his life caught in shocking dashcam footage

A motorcyclist suffered life-changing injuries when his bike was hit head-on by a car travelling at 70mph, catapulting the rider through the air.

South Yorkshire Police released dramatic footage of the horror collision after the car driver was jailed.

The injured rider has said the safety equipment he was wearing at the time saved his life.

The footage, taken from three cameras on two vehicles, including the front and rear of the Subaru involved, shows the car travelling around a blind left-hand bend and veering on to the wrong side of the road due to its excessive speed.

It then shows the 35-year-old motorcyclist braking before the head-on crash launches him through the air.

The motorcyclist broke but the car was driving too fast on the wrong side of the road (PA)

He can be seen landing on the floor many metres from his wrecked bike following the collision on Mortimer Road, a country road a few miles west of Sheffield, in the Peak District National Park.

A police spokesman said the experienced rider, from Barnsley, suffered a broken back, a broken sternum and a broken wrist in the crash.

He said his Suzuki K7 sports bike was completely destroyed on impact.

The spokesman confirmed that the driver of the Subaru, Florian Pratt, 41, from Kilnwood Close, Nottingham, was jailed for 16 months at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday.

Hit at 70mph the motorcyclist was thrown violently into the air (PA)

Pratt admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was also given a three-year driving ban by Judge David Dixon.

The motorbike rider has praised the protective gear he was wearing at the time for saving his life, police said.

Roads policing officer Pc Phil Carson said: “In an ideal world, everyone would drive with care 100% of the time, but sadly this isn’t the case.

“The offending driver had no previous driving points or convictions, but on this occasion he demonstrated an exceptional lack of judgment.

Motorcyclists protective clothing saved his life (PA)

“Thankfully, the motorcyclist was wearing a full leather, air bag suit which activated and inflated as he was propelled off his bike.

“Without it, in a collision at this speed, he would most likely have died.”

Pc Carson said: “We often see motorcycle riders wearing shorts and trainers, and they think it’s OK because they have a helmet on – it’s not.

“You might be travelling in a safe manner, but that doesn’t mean everyone else is.

“Please make sure that you’re wearing the right kit, it might be expensive but without it, your life could be at risk.”

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