'I fully blacked out' - cyclist seriously hurt after being hit by van

A VAN driver ploughed into a helpless cyclist at speed.

- JONATHON HILL

David Walter, 46, was on his way to work cycling his usual route through Bridgend on the B4280 when he was struck by 60-year-old Wayne Adams.

Footage captured on the cyclist's helmet camera shows Adams approaching the cyclist without deviating at all on the road and colliding with Mr Walter.

Earlier footage showed that a number of motorists were comfortably able to navigate their way around Mr Walter safely, but Adams claimed later to police that he couldn't see Mr Walter on his bike due to low sunlight that morning.

Last month Adams avoided a prison sentence at Cardiff Crown Court, instead being given a 24-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also disqualified from driving for a year, while Mr Walter was left in a back brace for months and may never fully recover.

After being hit by Adams, Mr Walter, who had been doing everything correctly and was wearing a hi-vis jacket and had flashing lights on his bike, ruptured part of his spine, broke five ribs, cracked his sternum, and suffered excessive internal bleeding.

He spent two weeks in hospital and the next three months in a brace and has many longer-term issues resulting from the crash.