WHILE multi-national firms have paid the top brains in advertising millions of pounds in a bid to create a viral video, a student has achieved an internet sensation without even trying.

University of Durham graduate Chloe Richardson, from Richmond, was filming her sister riding her horse at nearby Skeeby Bridge, when a car came into shot and stopped to make way for traffic coming over a narrow bridge.

A cyclist riding along the North Yorkshire lane failed to notice the car stopping and ploughed into the back of the car, hitting the rear windscreen of the stationary vehicle.

Miss Richardson said the cyclist was not seriously injured, although the major damage no doubt was a bruised ego.

Since last Thursday, when the sports science graduate posted the footage on her Facebook page the clip has had more than 481,000 views and been shared 3,657 times.

Miss Richardson said: "I was filming my sister on her horse in the field near Skeeby Bridge when this just unfolded in the background. It was a complete surprise, the cyclist was badly bruised but luckily not badly hurt.”

She said she had been amazed by the reaction, although not all of the 1,700 viewers leaving comments have been totally sympathetic towards the cyclist.

One said: "I could watch this a million times, it just keeps getting funnier.”

Another added: "Something so funny about this, maybe buying disc breaks instead of that flourescent clothing would have been better."

Others missed the action altogether on first watching the film.

Jenna Giesler said: “I missed it the first time cause I was waiting for the horse to do something!”

For some viewers it was a perfect example of someone being in the right place at the right time and for the cyclist being in the wrong place at the wrong time.