Road rage driver rammed cyclist off road, leaving him with punctured lung, before driving away ‘smiling’

Motorist William Heslop fled scene smiling after ploughing into cyclist in 2018

A driver has been jailed for deliberately ramming into a cyclist, leaving him with a punctured lung and several broken ribs, before driving away “smiling”.

Motorist William Heslop, 33, from Thorpe Willoughby, North Yorkshire, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for two years at York Crown Court on Friday.

He was also banned from driving for three years and will be unable to get back behind the wheel until he passes an extended test.

Video from a camera attached to the victim’s bike shows how Heslop cut him up at a crossroads, steered into his path and slammed on the brakes.

The cyclist, a 55-year-old electrical engineer commuting to work in Selby, North Yorkshire, swerved out of the way and narrowly avoided the car.

But Heslop caught up with him seconds later and rammed him off the road.

Heslop fled the scene. According to a passer-by who saw the incident, he had a smile on his face.

The court heard the incident happened in Selby on the morning of 26 June 2018.

Investigating officer PC Richard Stagg said: “It’s not quite clear what Heslop hoped to achieve by his intimidating and ultimately dangerous behaviour towards the cyclist.

“But I hope this case sends a clear message to motorists who think they can get away with such aggressive behaviour towards other road users.

“We urge everyone to share the road and be courteous to each other, otherwise you could end up in prison with a criminal record that will have a long-term knock-on effect on other aspects of your life.”

Additional reporting by SWNS