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Gravesend groom forced to marry sat in mobility scooter after 'wheelie' crash caused by Suzuki biker on A20 at Wrotham

05:00, 31 January 2023

updated: 16:03, 31 January 2023

Additional reporting by Nicola Jordan

When it comes to your wedding day there are so many things that can go amiss.

But for Bill Eastwood, from Gravesend, it was being forced to get married sitting in a mobility scooter after sustaining "life-changing" injuries in a major crash.

Bill Eastwood, who was injured in a crash on the A20, married seven weeks later while on a mobility scooter. Photo: Bill Eastwood
Bill Eastwood, who was injured in a crash on the A20, married seven weeks later while on a mobility scooter. Photo: Bill Eastwood

The young dad was riding his motorbike along the A20 at Wrotham when another biker Suzuki smashed into him after performing a dangerous "wheelie" manoeuvre.

Mr Eastwood, 31, sustained multiple fractures to his leg, ankle neck, ribs and a punctured lung in the crash in June 2021.

He spent a month in hospital and at one point he was told his leg would have been amputated if he had been older.

Mr Eastwood, who was due to be married seven weeks after the event, thought his wedding to sweetheart Tilly would have to be cancelled.

But determined, he tied the knot by wheeling down the aisle in his scooter and standing just long enough to pledge his vows.

He said: "Tilly was in pieces after the accident. But we had planned it and could not afford for it not to go ahead.

"It should have been the happiest day of my life and I am grateful I was able to get married. But I couldn't dance or have a drink."

Mr Eastwood eventually discharged himself from hospital and is now back running his vehicle recovery business.

He said: "I was going crazy. I still get a lot of pain in my legs and am having physio privately. I'm told I'm 70% there.

"I'm angry. I used to do a lot of off-road biking and I thought if this was going to happen I'd do it myself. I never expected somebody else to do this to me."

Perri East has been jailed for more than two years after performing a 50mph wheelie which caused a serious crash on the A20 at Wrotham. Photo: Facebook
Perri East has been jailed for more than two years after performing a 50mph wheelie which caused a serious crash on the A20 at Wrotham. Photo: Facebook

Since the crash in June 2021, the couple have had a baby daughter Isobel who is now seven-weeks-old.

The business owner faces walking with a limp for the rest of his life and is still recovering 18 months after the horrific crash.

Mr Eastwood had been riding his bike along the A20 to meet friends the day after his 30th birthday.

And now the biker responsible has been jailed for more than two years after causing the crash which left Mr Eastwood with "life-changing" injuries just weeks before his nuptials.

Last week, Maidstone Crown Court heard Perri East was performing a "wheelie" manoeuvre on the trunk road when his Suzuki ploughed into Mr Eastwood and his bike.

East, 25, had been taking part in an unofficial rally on the A20 in June 2021 at the time.

Perri East was jailed for 28 months at Maidstone Crown Court. Photo: Stock
Perri East was jailed for 28 months at Maidstone Crown Court. Photo: Stock

Prosecutor Alice Aubrey-Fletcher told the court: "This was a well-known gathering place for riders and spectators, although the road, which has a 50mph limit, was not cordoned off for the event.

"East was participating in the rally on his Suzuki bike, arriving at about 6.30pm.

"He had completed two laps of the route which runs between two roundabouts and was lined with spectators."

At 7.30pm East was travelling north-east towards the Shell Garage as Warren Whittaker was driving his Mercedes car in the same direction.

The barrister added: "Mr Whittaker later described hearing the engine of the bike behind him and then watching it come screaming past him, while East was performing a wheelie.

"He estimated the bike was going in excess of 50 mph and described the defendant standing up on the pedals at the back of the bike.

Just 10 months after the crash, East punched another man in the face at a racing event. Photo: Facebook
Just 10 months after the crash, East punched another man in the face at a racing event. Photo: Facebook

"After the over-take he dropped the front of the bike and continued at speed."

She said ahead of East and riding a Yamaha was Mr Eastwood who was turning right, planning to meet friends.

But East thought the second bike was pulling over and ploughed into him.

The incident was caught on several cameras and shown to the court.

Recovery driver Mr Eastwood said in his victim impact statement: "I was only able to stand long enough to get married.

"The surgeon told me that had I been over 50, they would have had to amputate the leg as the injuries were so bad but due to my age they opted to try and save it."

'The surgeon told me that had I been over 50, they would have had to amputate the leg as the injuries were so bad...'

East, of Cray Road, Sidcup, has admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and later told police he had been doing "a stupid wheelie".

He said that he hadn't realised Mr Eastwood was turning right when the crash happened.

Judge Philip Statman said he accepted that East was now "full of genuine remorse and was ashamed".

However, just 10 months after the crash, East was embroiled in a fracas at a motorbike event when he left a second victim with a double fracture to his chin.

East attended a Santa Pod Raceway event in Bedfordshire and during a dance he became annoying to others after drinking, the court heard.

Later as he was being taken out of the event he mistook an innocent cyclist, Andrei Marcu as one of the men that he had fallen out with earlier.

He then lashed out punching his victim in the face and breaking his jaw in two places. He later admitted causing grievous bodily harm.

East was jailed for a total of 28 months and banned from driving for 40 months.

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