A dad was catapulted 140ft through the air in front of his horrified wife and kids after being hit by a motorist speeding 100mph.
Jacob Reginald Titt, 23, and Thomas Lycett, 21, were driving in a “competitive nature” and using the roads "like a racetrack" when Titt’s car smashed into dad Thomas Watt.
Both have now been jailed for their horror driving.
Mr Watt had been out on a family bike ride and was on the 40mph Salisbury Road, in Hampshire, with his wife and two young daughters.
But a dream bike ride with his family turned into a nightmare as he was ploughed into by Titt’s Skoda Fabia vRS and sent flying, landing 140ft away.
The entire horrific incident unfolded in front of his terrified wife and two kids.
Mr Watt suffered numerous life-changing injuries and was rushed to Southampton General Hospital, where he was treated for two fractured vertebrae in his neck, fractures to his ankle, ribs and shoulder and a collapsed lung.
CCTV images captured the vehicles “flashing by” and one witness recalled the two young men had been driving “much quicker” than any car she had ever seen on the road.
Both Titt and Lucett pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Southampton Crown Court.
Titt, of Ringwood, Hampshire, was jailed for 18 months and disqualified from driving for three years and nine months.
Lycett, of Totton, Hampshire, was jailed for 14 months and disqualified from driving for three years and seven months.
The court heard how, on October 11, 2020, Mr Watt and his wife and daughters had been out cycling.
The 45-year-old had checked the road was clear before leading his family across the A36 Salisbury Road, near a junction.
Prosecutor Tim Naik told the court how Titt’s car “ploughed” through the self-employed gardener when he and Lycett had been driving in a “competitive nature” and “showing off”.
Mr Naik read out a statement on behalf of Mr Watt, 45, who said: 'It was a miracle that I was the only one injured. I was in so much pain.
“The physical effects have been really hard for me to cope with. I have to deal with the pain like I never felt before.
“Simple things are now not so simple. I'm back to work but not to the same point I was before the collision.”
Detective Constable Mark Furse, of the Roads Policing Unit, said: "Titt and Lycett were driving so fast they are lucky to have not killed someone. It was a matter of pure luck that neither of the children were struck by either car as well.
"Mr Watt will now have to live with the injuries they caused by their reckless and selfish actions.
"Speed limits are there for a reason and to exceed them by this much - more than double in some parts of the roads they were driving on - caused a huge risk to themselves and other innocent road users.
"This case highlights the dangers posed by inexperienced drivers who decide to use the roads like a racetrack and drive way beyond their capabilities. The rules of the road are there for a reason and apply to all drivers.
“Please think of other more vulnerable road users before making the decision to drive in such a dangerous and selfish manner."
