Terrifying dashcam footage shows the moment a tractor trailer ploughed into stationary rush hour traffic – leaving throwing a driver’s legs through his smashed windscreen. The Mercedes truck, driven by Lithuanian Vygantas Stanulis (doub corr), failed to brake until the last moment, and the heavy truck, laden with steel, crashed into the back of the car in front.
Stanulis’ dashcam caught the entire smash on film, showing the driver of the tiny Ford Fiesta being hurtled through the front of his own car – with such force that his shoe came off.
The impact crushed the car, sending the 20-year-old driver’s legs flying through the mangled windscreen, while the lorry in front carrying pallets was shunted into the hard shoulder, of the A2 in Dover, Kent.
Only as the clip ends does he move, before later being taken to hospital with a number of serious injuries, including a fractured skull, two fractured vertebrae, a fractured ankle, and knee, shin bone and facial injuries.
Stanulis was arrested and told police he had “taken his eyes off the road for a second” to look at two lorries parked in a layby, describing it as a “momentary lapse in concentration”.
He was later charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving after the smash on the coastbound carriageway at 8.35am on January 19 this year.
The 55-year-old initially denied the offence but changed his plea last week on the day his trial was due to start at the Old Bailey.
Investigating officer PC Celia Weller said: “Stanulis didn’t set out that morning to cause harm and he is still coming to terms with what happened.
“The victim still faces operations on his face and knee and will live with the consequences of this collision for a long time.
“It just goes to show that any lapse in concentration when driving can have devastating consequences.”
The footage was released with the blessing of the victim.