A grandmother suffered catastrophic injuries when a driving instructor crashed into the back of her bicycle at 55mph.
Rebecca Tanton says Jon Dick has never apologised for the collision in Lincolnshire two years ago and has consistently maintained that he was not at fault.
Dick was convicted in November of causing serious injury by careless driving. He received a suspended prison sentence and a two-year driving ban, ending his career as an instructor.
Ms Tanton, who is in her late 50s, says she will “never recover” from the crash. Her injuries required seven metal plates to be fitted to her bones, and she later developed sepsis.
Adding to her ordeal, her 33-year-old son died from brain cancer shortly after she emerged from one of six operations. From her hospital bed, she was forced to make arrangements for his funeral.
She told Our News Outlet: “My helmet saved my life, there is absolutely no doubt about that.
“But my life is changed completely. I am simply existing in constant pain, while Jon Dick is still walking around freely – and he has shown no remorse whatsoever.”
The mother of three had led an exceptionally active life before the collision. A keen horse rider and swimmer, she also cycled as many as 40 miles each day.
Rebecca Tanton was thrown from her pedal bike on Manby Road in Lincolnshire when she was hit by Jon Dick at 55mph
She crashed onto the road, breaking multiple bones on the right side of her body and suffering injuries she says she will “never recover” from
Dick was driving a Ford Puma clearly marked as a training vehicle and, according to Ms Tanton, has never apologised for the collision
The crash happened at about 4pm on October 7, 2024, during one of Ms Tanton’s daily rides along Manby Road towards Louth. Dick, who is in his mid-50s, was travelling on the same route.
Dashcam footage shows Dick alone in his Ford Puma, which was marked as a learner vehicle, leaving Manby with the radio playing. As he accelerated up a hill, Ms Tanton came into view ahead of him, wearing a high-visibility jacket.
Although he was wearing glasses, Dick failed to see the cyclist and struck her from behind. As he realised what had happened, he was heard shouting “f****** a***holes”.
Rear-facing footage captures Ms Tanton being launched into the air before hitting the tarmac. The impact was so severe that the following vehicle had to swerve to avoid running her over.
Ms Tanton says: ‘I remember very little of the aftermath, but I heard someone say I wouldn’t make it if they put me in the air ambulance.
‘I needed an emergency blood transfusion because I was losing so much.’
Her pelvis was smashed to pieces, and bones were broken along the entire right side of her body.
A hole in her face down to the bone over a fractured eye socket was hemorrhaging so much blood that it had to be treated with plastic surgery that evening.
Rebecca Tanton was a keen horserider, swimmer and cyclist before the accident completely changed her life
Dick was a driving instructor in Lincolnshire before he was banned from getting behind the wheel for two years after the guilty verdict
Josh Tanton, Rebecca’s youngest son, died from a rare brain tumour just as she was coming out of a major surgery
Long weeks in ICU followed, during which five plates were screwed into Ms Tanton’s pelvis: one into her hip, and one into her shoulder.
She said: ‘From the moment Jon Dick carelessly drove his car into me, he took away my freedom, independence and love of life.’
In March last year, just as the wounds were beginning to heal, Ms Tanton was struck down with sepsis – meaning infection had taken hold around the plates screwed to her bones.
Everything had to be opened back up, the infection washed out, an abscess cut away, and her wounds filled with antibiotic beads.
During this operation, however, her bladder was accidentally torn – saddling her with a catheter for three months.
When it seemed things could get no more difficult, Ms Tanton awoke from a surgery to the worst news imaginable: her 33-year-old son had died suddenly from a rare brain tumour.
Josh was a marine pilot out of Gravesend, meaning he used his expert knowledge to guide large commercial ships along the River Thames.
Dick stopped his car after realising he had hit the bike and remained on the scene as emergency services rushed to help Ms Tanton
Ms Tanton has been unable to return to the saddle of her bike, which she described as ‘her life’
Ms Tanton said: ‘The funeral of my beloved son had to be postponed until I was in a stable condition to attend.
‘Which I did with a catheter, and barely able to walk, because of the injuries caused in this collision.’
Meanwhile, the sepsis was cleared, but doctors found that infection was clinging to the plates – which couldn’t be removed, because the bones had not properly fused.
That means Ms Tanton is now living with a ‘ticking timebomb’ with the threat of sepsis returning. If that happens, doctors have said she has just a one-in-three chance of survival.
Dick was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and first appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court in July 2025, but he was allowed at the time to continue driving.
He was sentenced in December 2025 to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and disqualified from driving for 24 months.
In her victim impact statement, read out in court, Ms Tanton said: ‘The impact this has had on my elderly father, my eldest son and family, also my daughter, nearly seeing me die praying every time I am hospitalised, is unquantifiable. It’s all a living nightmare for all of us.’
Jason, her eldest son, told the court: ‘This incident has changed all of our lives completely. It’s hard to describe the fear, sadness and stress we’ve all gone through.
‘Every time I see my mum struggle, I’m reminded how close we came to losing her. I’m so proud of her strength and determination, but I also wish none of this had ever happened.’
Dick was approached by Our News Outlet for comment.
