Sheerness grandad will be 'paralysed if he moves too fast' after Ashford motorbike crash
17:00, 05 August 2021
updated: 17:04, 05 August 2021
A grandad who was left with life-changing injuries after crashing his motorbike into a car has been told he will be paralysed if he moves too fast.
Sheerness man Adrian Packer had been riding with his friends on the morning of Sunday, July 18, before he and another biker headed home via Military Road in Ashford.
It was there, at around 10.30am, the 57-year-old suddenly swayed into oncoming traffic when his back wheel shot up in the air and collided with a BMW XI.
It's not known how the delivery driver managed to sway into traffic, but it's thought his back wheel had locked.
The dad-of-four, who moved to the Isle of Sheppey when he was 16, has been in intensive care at King's College hospital ever since after fracturing his spine and neck, suffering a broken pelvis and wrist, puncturing his lung, as well as having a traumatic hernia.
Wife Karen Packer has been visiting him every day since the accident, which was a day after her birthday, and thinks he is lucky to be alive.
The 50-year-old said: "I was in complete shock when police came to my door later that day and told me.
'The nurses said if he moves to fast he might paralyse himself..."
"I didn't believe them at first, but then I sort of went into auto-pilot and I headed up there to see him. I've worked in a hospital before so am a bit hardened to what I saw, but it wasn't nice seeing him on a ventilator."
The pair live in Wellesley Road, Sheerness, and have been married for 26 years.
The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) worker revealed her husband has life-changing injuries and may not be able to walk again.
"His bike ended up on the bonnet of the BMW," she added.
"While Adrian was thrown into window and on the roof. He has life-changing injuries and the nurses said if he moves to fast he might paralyse himself.
"Today was the first day he's been of the ventilator since he arrived, but they think he'll be in hospital for months before he can leave.
"He has at least eight weeks in intensive care, but today was a bit more positive as he was off the ventilator and only had an oxygen mask on.
"He's still a bit confused by it all and can't speak to tell us whether or not he remembers what happened."
Karen revealed her husband had owned the bike he crashed on for years and had only had it serviced two weeks before the accident.
She has thanked his biker friends, who met with Adrian on the day at Queenborough Corner before taking off, for their caring messages and constant questions about Adrian.
A fundraising page has been set up for Adrian and has so far raised more than £1,000. You can donate here.
