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Jailed: Driver's fly-tip causes cyclist severe head injury
1 May
Summary
- A lorry driver was jailed for 16 months for fly-tipping.
- Cyclist suffered severe head injury after hitting dumped waste.
- Asbestos and a nail in the debris caused the cyclist's tyre to split.
A 36-year-old lorry driver, Craig Frewin, has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for causing a serious road danger. In September 2024, Frewin illegally dumped garden vegetation and a shed in a country lane near Brentwood. This fly-tipped waste, which blocked a significant portion of the road, contained hazardous materials, including asbestos with a protruding nail.
A cyclist, a man in his sixties, encountered the debris. His bicycle's front tyre was punctured by the nail, leading to a deflation and a fall. The cyclist sustained a severe head injury and was airlifted to the hospital in a life-threatening condition. He has no recollection of the incident and faces months of hospital treatment.
Investigators used CCTV and dashcam footage, along with telematics data from Frewin's vehicle, to link him to the fly-tipping. Frewin admitted to causing a danger to road users and was sentenced at Southend Crown Court. Police underscored that fly-tipping can be a lethal hazard, urging responsible waste disposal and the use of licensed carriers.
