A van driver has been given an 18-month ban from the road after being caught drug-driving.

Stephen May collided with a moped while changing lanes in his Ford Transit on the A120 at Braintree on July 8 this year.

The rider, a Braintree boy aged 16, was flown to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with internal injuries and a broken vertebra.

May, 27, failed a roadside drugs test and during police interview he admitted he had smoked cannabis the night before.

The roofer, of Anson Way, Braintree, pleaded guilty when he appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court last month.

As well as the driving ban he was ordered to pay £250 in fines and costs and to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

Pc Matt Turner from Essex Police, said: “The defendant did not show any signs of being under the influence of drugs but the roadside test and blood sample proved otherwise.

“The victim’s injuries were very serious and the long-term effect on his life is not yet known.

“The consequences of this could have been far greater and I urge drivers to think twice before getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs.”