British cyclist suffers ruptured liver and punctured lung after horrific car crash in France

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 04:42 EDT, 9 September 2026 | Updated: 04:42 EDT, 9 September 2026 A British holidaymaker was hospitalised for six days in France after a horror cycling collision with a car. Stuart Payne, 46, went on a trip with three friends in April to track the Paris-Roubaix – a professional cycling road race.On the final day of the holiday, the project engineer from Manchester was allegedly struck from behind by a car as he returned to his accommodation in Lille.Mr Payne suffered a ruptured liver, four broken ribs, a punctured lung as well as damage to his neck and shoulder. Although she eventually returned to the scene, the motorist initially failed to stop, Mr Payne claimed. 'We'd hired a place in Lille, and I was just going back to our digs when the car smashed into the back of me,' the father-of-two recalled. The father-of-two suffered a ruptured liver, four broken ribs, a punctured lung as well as damage to his neck and shoulder Stuart Payne suffered a ruptured liver, four broken ribs, a punctured lung as well as damage to his neck and shoulder as a result of the incident'It's not as if I was in the middle of the road or anything like that. I was in the cycle lane and the road, like many of them in France, was very wide.'He alleged: 'I was out of it when I came off my bike, but I can't believe the woman drove off – though at least she had the decency to come back.'The next morning, Mr Payne said he was in 'so much pain' and spent five days in intensive care for his lacerated liver injury.'My mates stayed with me for a few days but there was nothing they could do so I told them to go home,' he said.The Brit got the Eurostar home from Lille as he wasn't allowed to fly due to the extent of his injuries. 'What happened was awful, but it is what it is – you've just got to keep moving and getting on with it,' he added. Mr Payne is now seeking compensation for his injuries in France. Paul Rimmer, a senior litigation executive at Hudgell Solicitors and part of the legal team responsible for Mr Payne, said: 'We allege that the driver was going too fast in the circumstances and that she failed to exercise reasonable care and skill in driving the vehicle to ensure the reasonable safety of Stuart.'Under Loi Badinter (a French law which concerns the potential liability of drivers and non-drivers in an accident), we believe Stuart was entirely blameless for what happened.' The car that allegedly hit British holidaymaker Mr Payne in France A keen cyclist, Mr Payne is now seeking compensation for the injuries he suffered in FranceAnother Brit, Darren Cummins, was left with his leg 'dangling off' after a motorbike crash in Thailand and racked up thousands of pounds in medical bills. Mr Cummins, 34, went on holiday to the popular Asian destination in 2015 and loved it so much he stayed, leaving behind his hometown of Falkirk, Scotland.He often rides his motorbike to see the 'beauty' of the country but one trip, on June 13, led to him getting into a 100km/h (62mph) collision with a car that allegedly did a U-turn into oncoming traffic.Claiming his leg took the 'brunt of the impact', the business development consultant said his ankle and five inches of his tibia were smashed and 'scattered across the road'.READ MORE: Hen party left 'homeless' in Ibiza after £1,800 Booking.com flat mysteriously vanishes before they arrive