A driver has been jailed after he sped through a red light and ploughed into a cyclist, before fleeing the scene.

Jason Handley drove his Mercedes CLA at 54mph through a junction, almost twice the speed limit, when he hit the rider who was crossing the road.

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Handley, 31, initially turned his car around and pulled up alongside his victim, who has not been named, but then sped off when he realised he’d caused serious injuries to the 24-year-old.

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After being tracked down via CCTV and arrested Handley, of Ridge Close in Walsall, tried to blame the cyclist when interviewed by police, claiming he had ridden out in front of his car and that the lights were on amber.

When shown footage of the crash, he soon admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

DC Karl Davies, from the West Midlands Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is a clear example of the devastation that can be caused when drivers who think they are above the law, flout the rules at any expense.

“The cyclist has still got mobility issues as a result of Handley’s careless actions and the trauma of the day stays with him.”

The collision happened in Walsall Road, Willenhall, near Wolverhampton on July 27, 2018.

CCTV footage showed Handley accelerating through the traffic lights after they had changed to red, shortly after he had driven along a bus-only lane.

He was arrested in August 2018, then appealing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday (September 23), where he was jailed for 21 months and banned from the roads for five years.

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The cyclist suffered multiple fractures.

DC Davies added: “There are special zones for buses and access for a reason and aside from the fact he was found to be speeding, something even more serious could have happened.”