What a champ, cyclist who lost a leg.
Cyclist: 'I hugged and forgave lorry driver who caused Clerkenwell crash that cost me my leg'
Victoria Lebrec has forgiven Paul-Ioan Mihacea after a court case
Court case: Victoria Lebrec was knocked down in Clerkenwell Alex Lentati
A cyclist who lost a leg and nearly died when she was hit by a skip lorry today told how she had forgiven the driver, saying: “I don’t think it’s healthy to hate.”
Victoria Lebrec, 25, hugged Paul-Ioan Mihacea after a court case at which he admitted careless driving.
She told the Standard: “I completely forgive him. He just made a mistake. He was so sorry. He came up to me afterwards and said, ‘If there’s anything you need, let me know.’ He was racked with guilt and remorse.”
Ms Lebrec only survived the morning rush-hour crash in Clerkenwell — a year ago today — because London Air Ambulance medics performed a special procedure at the roadside to stop her bleeding to death.
At Blackfriars crown court, Mihacea, 30, was fined £750 and given five penalty points. He had initially been accused of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, but the charge was reduced as part of a plea bargain.
Ms Lebrec said she was “really happy with the outcome” as the guilty plea paves the way for compensation from the insurer of Hackney-based haulage firm McGrath, to cover her rehabilitation and future needs.
But 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.”
Last week the court heard Mihacea, a Romanian who lives in West Ham, was on a hands-free phone a minute before the crash. It was unknown whether he was still on the call at the moment of collision. The accident happened as his lorry turned left at the junction of Clerkenwell Road and St John Street. The vehicle’s sensors failed to detect Ms Lebrec’s presence because Mihacea had delayed using his indicators.
To save her, emergency medics Samy Sadek and Simon Walsh performed a procedure known as REBOA, which involves inserting a balloon-type device in the aorta — the artery from the heart — to stop the bleeding. Ms Lebrec, who lived in Mile End and had been cycling to work at Clinic advertising agency in Farringdon — underwent 13 operations and had her left leg amputated.
She said: “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.”
In court, Ian Bridge, defending, said: “Mihacea acknowledges that he had an opportunity to see Ms Lebrec and he admits that he did not.”
Judge David Richardson said: “No sentence can ever restore what Ms Lebrec lost.” He told the driver: “There is no explanation for your not seeing her at that moment.”
Cyclist: 'I hugged and forgave lorry driver who caused Clerkenwell crash that cost me my leg'
Victoria Lebrec has forgiven Paul-Ioan Mihacea after a court case
- ROSS LYDALL
- 6 hours ago
Court case: Victoria Lebrec was knocked down in Clerkenwell Alex Lentati
A cyclist who lost a leg and nearly died when she was hit by a skip lorry today told how she had forgiven the driver, saying: “I don’t think it’s healthy to hate.”
Victoria Lebrec, 25, hugged Paul-Ioan Mihacea after a court case at which he admitted careless driving.
She told the Standard: “I completely forgive him. He just made a mistake. He was so sorry. He came up to me afterwards and said, ‘If there’s anything you need, let me know.’ He was racked with guilt and remorse.”
Ms Lebrec only survived the morning rush-hour crash in Clerkenwell — a year ago today — because London Air Ambulance medics performed a special procedure at the roadside to stop her bleeding to death.
At Blackfriars crown court, Mihacea, 30, was fined £750 and given five penalty points. He had initially been accused of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, but the charge was reduced as part of a plea bargain.
Ms Lebrec said she was “really happy with the outcome” as the guilty plea paves the way for compensation from the insurer of Hackney-based haulage firm McGrath, to cover her rehabilitation and future needs.
But 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.”
Last week the court heard Mihacea, a Romanian who lives in West Ham, was on a hands-free phone a minute before the crash. It was unknown whether he was still on the call at the moment of collision. The accident happened as his lorry turned left at the junction of Clerkenwell Road and St John Street. The vehicle’s sensors failed to detect Ms Lebrec’s presence because Mihacea had delayed using his indicators.
To save her, emergency medics Samy Sadek and Simon Walsh performed a procedure known as REBOA, which involves inserting a balloon-type device in the aorta — the artery from the heart — to stop the bleeding. Ms Lebrec, who lived in Mile End and had been cycling to work at Clinic advertising agency in Farringdon — underwent 13 operations and had her left leg amputated.
She said: “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.”
In court, Ian Bridge, defending, said: “Mihacea acknowledges that he had an opportunity to see Ms Lebrec and he admits that he did not.”
Judge David Richardson said: “No sentence can ever restore what Ms Lebrec lost.” He told the driver: “There is no explanation for your not seeing her at that moment.”
