East Sussex father glad to be alive after terrifying Glynde motorbike crash leaves him with eight fractures

Jan Goj, 38, was riding home from work just before midnight on Friday, August 2, when he came off his bike on Station Road.

The fine dining chef, who lives in Ringmer with his family, said: “When I turned from Beddingham roundabout to Glynde on the way to Ringmer, I overtook a taxi driver.”

Jan said there was a metal railing at the side of the road and as he started to turn right he looked away ‘for a split second’ – probably to check his mirrors.

When he looked back he knew he was going to crash.

He said: “I could only think ‘this is not something I can manage and I’m going to go straight into the curb’.”

Jan said he was within the speed limit but he hit the curb, went over the railing and landed badly in a field while the motorbike ended up the other side of the road.

Describing the moments just before the collision Jan said: “It wasn’t my life that flashed in front of my eyes but there was a moment I knew it would be unavoidable. It will be harsh, it will be horrible.”

He said: “I’m not religious, but in my head I prayed it was not going to happen but I knew it would.”

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Jan could feel his pelvis was broken, along with other parts of his body, and, fearing that he would not be found in the dark, he started screaming for help. The taxi stopped and residents from nearby homes came out when they heard the noise.

Jan said: "They gave me blankets, they gave me water. They didn’t want to move me and tried to get me to stay awake and communicate with them.”

He said that when they shone lights on him he could see bone coming through his arm and his open wounds. “I just thought that was it,” said Jan, adding that he kept repeating to the residents that he loved his family.

Thankfully, the police arrived and stopped the bleeding and Jan was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital. His family was told at about 4.30am that he would be okay.

Jan said he had eight fractures in total, plus lacerations on his arm. His injuries included: a broken kneecap, a broken toe, a broken finger, three fractures in his pelvis and one in his lower spine. He is now using hospital equipment to lift himself up and a special chair so staff can help him with his legs.

“Luckily the fractures are not that bad,” he said. “I might not need any further surgery.”

Jan said is ‘emotionally drained’ but happy to be alive. He said: “I feel like I was born again. I almost lost everything.”

“It’s just a complete reset of the mind,” he said. “I can only see the good things now.”

Jan thanked the ‘amazing’ hospital staff and thanked the Glynde residents who helped him in a heartfelt message to the Lewes Present Facebook group on August 7.

He is now warning other bikers that accidents ‘can happen to anyone’. He said: “I regret what happened and I’d like this to help young bikers be more cautious on the road.”