A JUDGE has called for safety improvements at a junction on the outskirts of York where a motorist nearly killed a 71-year-old cyclist.

The cyclist spent weeks in hospital with a fractured spine, an ankle that needed plastic surgery, broken ribs and other injuries after Joe Alex Wood’s Subaru hit him at 45mph on the eastbound two-lane slip road at the A64 Copmanthorpe junction, said Chloe Fairley, prosecuting.

Wood had been tailgating at 70mph in the outside lane of the A64 on his way home from Tadcaster before swerving at the last minute, cutting across vehicles in the inside lane and going over hatchlines into the outside lane of the slip road.

The cyclist had been on the York to Tadcaster cycle track that runs along the A64 and crosses the slip road. Another driver on the slip road ahead of Wood agreed he had had enough time to cross safely when he cycled into the road, said Ms Fairley.

Then Wood appeared, saw the cyclist in the middle of his lane and slowed down but could not prevent the collision that threw the cyclist into the air, she said.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC told York Crown Court: “This is part of the national cycle route. There is no sign or warning there is a cycle path across the road.”

Prosecution and defence traffic accident experts had told the court the highway authorities should end the situation where cyclists had to cross in front of cars travelling at 70mph whose drivers had had no warning they would be there.

“There is a distinct difference between the safety of cyclists at this junction and the safety of pedestrians doing exactly the same, crossing a dual carriageway, a mile and a half along the road,” said the judge.

“If no action is taken and something happens, no doubt consequences will follow.”

Alex Menary for Wood said since the collision at 2.40pm on August 4, 2016, the hatched area had been painted over in solid white, but no warning signs had been erected.

Brewery delivery driver Wood, 23, of Fairfax Croft, Copmanthorpe, pleaded guilty to careless driving and was fined £500 with eight penalty points on his licence.

The judge told him: “You must live with the consequences and knowledge your driving nearly took a man’s life and has left him with life changing injuries.”

Mr Menary said Wood had been so shocked by the collision he had changed his high performance car for a less high powered one and changed his driving style. He would lose his job if he lost his licence and had not been in trouble with the police before or afterwards. The maximum sentence for careless driving is a fine. There is no offence of causing serious injury by careless driving.