Helmet cam captures van hitting biker near Betws-y-Coed Published duration 8 March 2017

media caption The crash was caught on film

A biker's helmet camera captured the moment a van driver crashed into him after failing to see him coming while turning across a road in Conwy county.

Rider Kevin Quirk, 32, from Pensby, Wirral, fractured his elbow in the crash near Betws-y-Coed last August.

Driver Ian Smith, 57, of Maesgwyn Road, Llandudno, admitted careless driving, saying he had not seen Mr Quirk approaching as he turned right.

He was given an £80 fine and five penalty points on his licence.

Flintshire Magistrates Court heard the crash happened at the junction of the A5 and A470 near the Ty Gwyn pub on 26 August 2016.

Alan Williams, prosecuting, said Mr Quirk had been riding at 44mph (70km/h) on his side of the road when Smith had turned across his path at the junction.

Mr Quirk's helmet cam footage, which recorded the incident, was played to the court.

Smith approached Mr Quirk after the crash and said: "I'm really sorry. Are you ok?"

'Shocking piece of driving'

In an interview, Smith said he had approached the junction and slowed to a crawl to turn, believing the road ahead was clear.

The court heard it was his first accident in years of driving, and he needed his licence to run his "man and van" removals business.

He said nothing like that had every happened to him before and he had been "totally shocked".

Magistrates decided not to disqualify him from driving.

Inspector Alun Davies of the North Wales Police Roads Policing Unit said after the case: "This was a shocking piece of driving.

"It was only by good fortune the motorcyclist wasn't more seriously injured.

"I'd like to remind the motoring community to remain fully focused whilst driving. Even a split second's lack of concentration can have tragic consequences."