Driver jailed after motorcyclist catapulted through air in head-on collision
Dramatic video of the horrific collision was released by police after the driver of the car was jailed.
Saturday 11 January 2020 18:02, UK
Dashcam footage has captured the moment a motorcyclist was hit by a car that veered onto the wrong side of the road, catapulting him through the air.
South Yorkshire Police released a clip of the horrific collision after the driver of the Subaru was jailed.
The rider, who suffered life-changing injuries, said the safety equipment he was wearing saved his life.
Footage from two vehicles, including the front and rear of the Subaru, shows the car travelling at speed around a blind bend and crossing onto the wrong side of the road.
The motorcyclist can be seen braking before the car hits him head-on at about 40mph, launching him through the air.
He lands on the ground many metres from his wrecked bike following the collision on Mortimer Road, a few miles west of Sheffield in the Peak District.
The experienced rider, from Barnsley, suffered a broken back, a broken sternum and a broken wrist in the crash.
The driver of the Subaru, 41-year-old Florian Pratt, from Nottingham, was jailed for 16 months at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday.
Pratt admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was also given a three-year driving ban by Judge David Dixon.
PC Phil Carson said the motorcyclist would have died without his protective gear.
He said: "The offending driver had no previous driving points or convictions, but on this occasion he demonstrated an exceptional lack of judgement.
"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 added: "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."