A young motorcycle enthusiast has admitted he is lucky to be alive after an accident on a busy Angus road left him requiring surgery.
Rhys Topen, 17, came off his bike on the A92 near Balcathie on Saturday evening.
It is thought the chain broke and wrapped around the rear wheel of his Yamaha MT125, sparking the potentially fatal loss of control.
The Carmyllie teenager landed on the road, but managed to crawl to the grass verge on the middle of the dual carriageway before a bus crashed into his bike, smashing it beyond repair.
A couple rushed to Rhys’ aid and called his mother, who has issued a thanks for their help.
Rhys suffered a broken wrist, scarring all over his body and a puncture wound above his left knee.
His wrist and leg both required surgery and a doctor said the knee wound was close to a main artery. A metal plate has been fixed to his wrist.
Rhys said: “I am lucky to be alive, especially after completely coming off a bike at 60mph.
“That alone is lucky enough, but to land on a dual carriageway as well is even worse.
“I don’t really remember flipping off my bike, but when I was on the road I could tell my wrist was broken.
“At the time I thought my leg was broken as well so I didn’t even try and stand up. I crawled to the grass verge in the middle of the road. It was scary.”
The teenager left hospital on Wednesday and is now resting at home with family.
He spoke out against falsehoods circulating on social media that worried his friends and family, including that he was paralysed and that the bus ran over him.
“The bus came up behind me after I came off my bike and stopped. It blocked the path so other cars had to stop, which was good.”
The apprentice heavy goods mechanic with Alan Davie Transport will not completely give up his biking hobby but admits the incident has had an impact on him.
He said: “It will take a while for me to get back to myself.
“My wrist probably won’t be back to the strength is used to be. It’s going to be difficult but I am not wanting to give my work up.
“I’ll probably not get back on a road bike and just stick to dirt bikes now. I have loved motorbikes ever since I was a kid. As soon as I was old enough, I got one.”
Rhys’ mother, Vicki Topen, said: “He has been really shaken up by the accident but is on the road to recovery now.
“Thank you to the passer by who called me, stayed with Rhys and helped him until the ambulance came.
“We are incredibly grateful to her and her partner and to the ambulance crew and hospital staff for taking such good care of him.”
