Cyclist left seriously injured after crashing into flytipped shed on Essex road

The cyclist lost his memory from the crash but now a man has been jailed for flytipping the rubbish onto the road

A cyclist, who lost his memory after crashing into fly-tipped waste, has found justice. The Brentwood cyclist, who did not wish to be named, sustained a serious head injury after the crash.

After being found lying in the road by a delivery driver on September 18, 2024, the cyclist was airlifted to the hospital in a life-threatening condition. He was next to his bike on a country road just beyond a pile of debris, a shed that had been fly-tipped.

The delivery driver had come to an abrupt halt in Lincolns Lane, Brentwood, because of a large amount of rubbish strewn across three-quarters of the road. The rider, who was in his 60s, had collided with the fly-tipped rubbish, causing him to come off the bike and hit his head, causing a severe head injury.

An investigation found one of the pieces of asbestos lying on the road had a protruding nail, explaining how the bike’s front tyre came to be totally deflated with evidence of a puncture and split. Police tracked footage of a lorry which had stopped hours earlier to illegally offload waste.

Driver of the hired lorry, Craig Frewin, of Wares Road, Good Easter, was charged with causing a danger to road users, and appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on October 8 last year. After entering a guilty plea, the 36-year-old was jailed for 16 months when he appeared at Southend Crown Court on Thursday, April 30.

Detective constable Alan Marks, who led the investigation, said: “Fly-tipping isn’t just an eyesore – it can be a lethal hazard. In this case, rubbish dumped across a country lane caused a cyclist to come off his bike and suffer a devastating head injury, leaving him with no recollection of what happened and months of hospital treatment.

“What’s especially shocking is the hidden dangers within the waste – asbestos left on the road with a nail protruding, which punctured the bike’s tyre and contributed to this serious collision.

“This family’s life has been changed forever, and it simply did not need to happen. If you produce waste, you have a responsibility to dispose of it legally and safely – and if you pay someone to take it away, make sure they’re a licensed waste carrier. Fly-tips can contain sharp or hazardous items and can put the public at real risk.”

Following the collision, the rubbish was removed by a specialist asbestos disposal company at a cost to the local council of £1,660.

After sentencing, the man’s family said in a statement: “We are deeply grateful to Essex Police, and in particular the Roads Policing Unit and Serious Collision Investigation Unit officers involved in this case, for their dedication and determination in uncovering the truth.

“The thorough and meticulous investigation, especially the efforts of the officer leading the case, has brought us a sense of justice and reassurance that the person responsible has been held to account.

“We know that without the commitment and combined efforts of everyone involved, this outcome and justice may not have been possible.”