A young motorcyclist said he “believed he was going to die” after suffering life-changing injuries in a crash with a car.
Stuart Hutchinson attempted a U-turn on the A259 to avoid rush hour traffic - but swerved his Nissan Qashqai into the path of a motorcyclist who was overtaking cars behind him.
The 19-year-old rider said the image of the white car leaving him helpless as it turned into his path “haunts me every night” after he was knocked from his bike in the horrific incident near Hooe in November last year.
Former chef Hutchinson, 40, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving and has been banned from driving.
In an emotional statement read out to court, the 19-year-old from Eastbourne said: “The image of the white car turning in front of me, leaving me helpless, haunts me every night.
Footage of the crash (Image: Sussex Police) “This memory is a constant source of stress, it feels like I am reliving the moment when I believed I was about to die.”
A hearing at Hastings Magistrates' Court on November 20 heard that traffic had been building as a result of temporary road works in the area at around 8.30am on November 29, 2023.
The accident happened near the Custom Cafe.
Dashcam footage of the crash showed the moment the car swerved in the direction of the motorbike, knocking him to the floor.
The motorcyclist had no time to evade and was knocked from his bike.
He suffered broken legs, arms, hands and shoulder blades as well as spinal injuries, multiple dislocations and damage to his Achilles tendon.
Inside the smashed car following the crash (Image: Sussex Police)
Images from the scene shared by Sussex Police show Hutchinson's smashed car and remnants of the motorbike lying on the ground by the side of the vehicle.
The collision left the rider “emotionally scarred” and with anxiety, he told the court.
When asked in a police interview whether he would carry out the manoeuvre in a driving test, Hutchinson declined to comment.
Hutchinson, of Brinklehurst Drive in Bexhill, was banned from driving for 15 months and ordered to do 180 hours unpaid work. He was also fined £199.
Sussex Police PC Lewis Jordan said: “This case demonstrates the devastating consequences of a moment of carelessness.
“When asked at interview whether he would have carried out the manoeuvre in a driving test, Hutchinson declined to comment.
“It shows that the turn was not advisable. It was attempted to save perhaps just a minute or two of queueing in traffic due to temporary road works on the A259.
“The result is that a young man’s life has been changed forever.
“It highlights the need for all motorists to take care on our roads, and to look out for vulnerable road users.
“All drivers should check that a manoeuvre is safe to complete, and in the case of cycles and motorcycles, think bike.”
