A grandmother is enduring a life of constant pain and has spoken out about her catastrophic injuries after being struck from behind by a driving instructor at 55 mph. Rebecca Tanton, in her late 50s, sustained severe injuries that required seven metal plates to be inserted into her bones and led to a sepsis infection.

Jon Dick, the driving instructor, was found guilty in November of causing serious injury by careless driving. He received a suspended prison sentence and a two-year driving ban, which ended his career. Ms. Tanton stated that Dick has never apologized for the incident, which occurred two years ago in Lincolnshire, and has consistently maintained his innocence.

Ms. Tanton, a mother of three, described her life as completely changed, stating she is "simply existing in constant pain." Before the crash, she led an active lifestyle, participating in horse riding and swimming, and cycling approximately 40 miles daily. "My helmet saved my life, there is absolutely no doubt about that," she said. "But my life is changed completely."

The collision happened on October 7, 2024, on Manby Road towards Louth. Dashcam footage from Dick's Ford Puma, marked as a training vehicle, shows him accelerating as Ms. Tanton comes into view. Despite wearing glasses, he failed to see her and collided with her from behind. Rear-view footage captured Ms. Tanton being thrown into the air before landing heavily on the tarmac, prompting the following car to swerve to avoid hitting her.

Ms. Tanton recalled limited memories of the immediate aftermath, including hearing paramedics express concern about her survival if airlifted. She required an emergency blood transfusion due to significant blood loss and was taken to Grimsby for stabilization before potentially heading to Hull. Her pelvis was shattered, and bones on the entire right side of her body were broken. A facial injury, exposing bone over a fractured eye socket, was severe enough to require emergency plastic surgery that evening.

Following extended periods in intensive care, Ms. Tanton underwent surgeries that inserted five plates into her pelvis, one into her hip, and one into her shoulder. "From the moment Jon Dick carelessly drove his car into me, he took away my freedom, independence and love of life," she stated.

In March of the following year, Ms. Tanton developed sepsis around the plates in her bones. This necessitated further surgery to clear the infection and remove an abscess, during which her bladder was accidentally torn, requiring a three-month catheterization.

Adding to her ordeal, Ms. Tanton awoke from surgery to learn that her 33-year-old son, Josh, had died from a rare brain tumor. Josh, a marine pilot, guided large commercial ships along the River Thames. Ms. Tanton recounted having to postpone his funeral until she was stable enough to attend, doing so while using a catheter and with difficulty walking due to her injuries.

Although the sepsis was cleared, doctors discovered that infection was still present around the plates, which could not be removed because her bones had not fused properly. This leaves Ms. Tanton with the ongoing threat of sepsis returning, a situation doctors have described as a "ticking timebomb" with a one-in-three chance of survival if it recurs.

Dick was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving and initially allowed 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, Ms. Tanton conveyed the unquantifiable impact the collision has had on her family, describing their experience as a "living nightmare." Her eldest son, Jason, told the court that the incident has "has changed all of our lives completely," expressing the fear, sadness, and stress the family has endured and his pride in his mother's strength while wishing the event had never happened.