A CYCLIST nearly killed by a skip lorry has since 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 at a junction in north London on the morning of December 8 last year.
When Mihacea, 30, turned left, he knocking Ms Lebrec off the bike and DRAGGING her under the wheels of the vehicle, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.
Ms Lebrec, from east London, horrifically injured her leg above the knee and will have to use a colostomy bag for the rest of her life.
Last Friday Mihacea was fined £750 and given just five penalty points which means he can keep driving.
Amazingly Ms Lebrec revealed she has forgiven the driver as it is not “healthy to hate”.
She said: “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. 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.”
Prosecutor Kathryn Hirst had told the court Mihacea should have spotted Ms Lebrec alongside him.
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.
Mihacea's truck was equipped with sensors that would give him audible warnings if there was somebody in close proximity to the lorry when he indicated to turn.
Ms Lebrec had already passed the first sensor when the Romanian driver began indicating and as a result he did not have any knowledge of her presence.
The court heard how Ms Lebrec had visible tyre marks on her pelvis as a result of the incident.
Judge David Richardson said: “The fact is that on our roads where cyclists and heavy duty vehicles mingle this sort of thing can happen within seconds.”
Mihacea, also from east London, had originally been charged with causing serious injury through careless driving but the prosecution and the victim accepted the charge being reduced to careless driving.
He must now pay a £750 fine and five penalty points have been added to his driving licence.
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