https://proudstars.blogspot.com/2015/12/cyclist-who-lost-her-leg-and-nearly.html
Cyclist who lost her leg and nearly died when a skip lorry knocked her off her bike FORGIVES and hugs the driver even though he was fined just £750
- Cyclist was riding in south London when lorry turned into her last year
- She needed life-saving surgery at the scene and had her leg amputated
- Driver has now admitted careless driver but got just a £750 fine in court
- Cyclist says she forgives him because 'it's not healthy to hate'
Victoria Lebrec says she has forgiven the truck driver who drove into her causing her to lose her leg
A cyclist nearly killed by a lorry has revealed she has hugged and forgiven the driver who was fined just £750.
Victoria Lebrec, 24, had to have her left leg amputated and her life was only saved by pioneering medical treatment at the roadside.
The accounts manager had been on the left side of Paul-Ioan Mihacea’s truck in south Londonon December 8 last year when the accident happened.
Mihacea, 30, turned left, knocking Ms Lebrec off the bike and dragging her under the wheels of the vehicle, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.
As a result of the incident Ms Lebrec lost her leg above the knee and will have to use a colostomy bag for the rest of her life.
Mihacea was fined £750 last Friday and given just five penalty points which means he can keep driving.
Ms Lebrec has now said she has forgiven the driver, adding: ‘I completely forgive him. He just made a mistake. He was so sorry. He came up to me and said ‘If there’s anything you need, let me know’.
‘He was wracked with guilt and remorse.’
She added: ‘Compared to the injuries, [the £750 fine] doesn’t seem a lot.. It was just a momentary lapse of judgment which caused it. 'The police did forensic tests on the vehicle and they could see that I could be seen for 14 seconds leading up to the crash.
‘I don’t think it’s healthy to hate. He obviously feels very bad about the whole thing. We had a really long hug, which was really emotional.’
During Mihacea's court case, prosecutor Kathryn Hirst had told the court the skip lorry driver should have spotted Ms Lebrec alongside him.
Ms Hirst said: ‘The defendant had a three-second opportunity where Miss Lebrec would have been in his line of vision in the mirror.’
The court was shown CCTV footage of the incident which clearly showed Mihacea’s indicator switching on just before the turn and appeared to show Miss Lebrec realising this.
