A cyclist rammed off the road by a bus driver who used his vehicle “like a weapon” told yesterday how his helmet saved his life.

Phillip Mead, 43, was knocked 10ft in the air when Gavin Hill, 29, swerved into him after a road rage bust-up.

He suffered a broken leg, fractured wrist and thumb but believes he could have been killed had he not been wearing a helmet.

The Western Daily Press reported yesterday that Hill was jailed for 17 months at Bristol Crown Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm.

Yesterday, father-of-two Mr Mead described the incident as a “moment of madness” – but said he felt “no anger” towards the bus driver.

The computer programmer, from Bristol, said: “It just seemed to me that it was a complete moment of madness from him.

“It goes to show how one bit of rage can affect so many people’s lives. It has affected me and my family – but also now him and his family now he has gone to prison.

“He was angry and he let the anger get the better of him. But I do not feel any anger towards him now – in fact I feel really sorry for his family.

“But that couple of seconds where he lost it he has affected a lot of people for a long time.

“It happened almost a year to the day after I was given the all-clear for testicular cancer – so it has been a hell of a couple of years. But without my helmet it could have been a lot worse – I could have been killed.”

Mr Mead was pedalling the four miles to work in central Bristol when he clashed with Hill at 8.30am on April 5.

The keen cyclist – who has been riding for 30 years – angrily accused the driver of cutting him up on the city’s St James Barton roundabout.

Mr Mead pulled his bike up against the front of the Bugler Coach as they stopped at traffic lights and tugged at one of the windscreen wipers.

He then rode off, at a slow pace, in front of the bus – but nothing could have prepared him for what happened next.

CCTV cameras captured the Bath firm Bugler Coaches vehicle pulling out to overtake him and then suddenly swerve to the left – knocking into Mr Mead and sending him sprawling across the road.

The cyclist said: “I saw the bus come alongside me, then swerve straight into me. I was thinking ‘what the hell is he doing?’.

“As the bus came into me it touched my shoulder and over I went. My bike went off to the left and I rolled over the top of it. I remember being on the ground and trying to get up – but I felt pain in my left leg. I slumped back down on the ground and a group of people rushed over to help me.

“I could feel my left wrist expanding – so I was pretty sure I had broken that. I was in pain – but I was probably more worried about my bike.”

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