'Motor trike helped me regain freedom after crash'

A motorcyclist who was paralysed in a crash says getting back into riding through a specially-modified trike helped him through his difficult journey.

Jacob Davies-Pyke was left in a wheelchair after being paralysed from the chest down in a collision in Canterbury in December 2022.

The 46-year-old says getting his full licence on a motorised trike just two years after his crash gave him something to focus on.

Mr Davies-Pyke, from Canterbury, said: "I meet a lot of people who have been inspired by what I have been able to do."

A trike is a three-wheeled motorbike which can be ridden with a motorcycle licence.

He added: "There's not many bikers with my level of injury. I'm the only trike rider that I know of in the South East.

"I'm really pleased with what I have achieved. You need something to focus on that isn't the physical or emotional trauma you have suffered."

On December 15,2022, Mr Davies-Pyke said he was riding his bike back from visiting his mother when he was hit by a driver at a junction in Canterbury.

He suffered life-changing spinal injuries which paralysed him from the chest down and kept him in hospital for eight months.

Mr Davies-Pyke said being moved into temporary accommodation in Chatham left him feeling "isolated" but getting back into motorcycling became his "primary focus".

Following some research, he was able to get back on the road on a motorised trike.

A grant from the National Association of Bikers with a Disability meant the trike could be modified to include a hand brake lever and cage to carry his wheelchair.

Mr Davies-Pyke added: "It has been a difficult journey to get to here and it's the best feeling.

"I can show people that it is possible and all you have to do is knuckle down and focus and ride out the difficult days."

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.