These were the words spoken by 55-year-old Martin Norman, from Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, when he was involved in a road traffic collision while out on his motorbike in June 2024. While he was on the roadside with serious injuries, the crew from East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) Anglia Two (Cambridge) were tasked to bring urgent treatment and care directly to Martin at the scene.
“I’ve been riding motorcycles since I was 16 years old. I passed my test in 1987 on a 125cc, and I’ve built up over the years, going up to a 250cc I then had a ten-year gap from riding while my wife Pauline and I concentrated on our family and buying our first house. We now have three children and four grandchildren. When we were more financially secure, I said I wanted another bike so in the year 2000 I bought 600cc so I could get on the road again. I had this bike for the next 12 years. I then sold this and got a 1200cc, which I had for a short time and finally found and got my dream bike Kawasaki ZZR1400 in my favourite colour, blue.
I work in vehicle and accident recovery and often attend the scenes of road traffic collisions. I see a lot and it really opens your eyes about what can go wrong. As a result, I’ve always been a very careful rider.
On 7 June 2024 I had a day off work. The weather was good, so I thought I would get the bike out and ride down to my former workplace in Littleport. I had driven that road for over 12 years, so I know it well, including all the danger points. It was a nice, steady ride with medium traffic. As I approached a very sharp left bend, which I knew narrowed and reduced the width of the road as you get round the corner, I slowed down to go around it. I still can’t think what went wrong, but I saw an articulated lorry as I was in a left hand lean. I couldn’t lean anymore, and I collided and slid all the way down the side of the lorry and its trailer, landing on a nearby grass verge.
An off-duty paramedic was travelling behind me. He came over with another first aider to help me. I did what I shouldn’t have and took off my helmet and gloves, but at this point I was more concerned about my motorbike. I was wearing all the correct bike gear leather trousers and jacket and boots, and the paramedic needed to access my injury and wanted to cut my leather trousers of me. It was then that he saw that my leg was seriously injured.
I had an open fracture of my right femur. I think my adrenaline was pumping because I couldn’t feel any pain, but what other injuries might this be hiding? Then I heard a helicopter, and I asked, “Is that the air ambulance? Is it here for me?”
EAAA’s Doctor Patricia and Critical Care Paramedic Will took over from the off-duty paramedic and first aider. They wanted to cut my jacket off me, and I remember telling them I’d only had it six months!
They put a pelvic binder and a head brace on me, but they needed to straighten my badly injured leg. I later saw photos of my injury – my leg was bent like a banana! I had broken my femur in two places; the bone was completely detached and there were concerns about infection. The crew were so gentle and explained everything to me. I couldn’t have asked for better treatment and care. I was given some sedation so my leg could be manipulated, and advanced medication to reduce the risk of infection, and for a suspected internal haemorrhage.
The crew explained that I was going to be transferred by air to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for further treatment. I’d only ever been in a plane before, never a helicopter – but the journey was as smooth as a plane. Dr Patricia and CCP Will continued to ask me questions and check whether I needed more pain relief during the journey.
At Addenbrooke’s, I had a full body scan to check there were no other injuries. Pauline and my eldest daughter, Vicki had been contacted. They arrived at hospital with my other daughter Chloe and her husband Jim and my son Liam arriving the same time. They were in tears – we all were. I had keyhole surgery on the Saturday to put a metal rod into my bone. On Sunday, they got me on my feet with a walking frame and crutches, and by Monday evening I was happy to be continuing my recovery at home, even though I was black and blue.
In all my years riding motorcycles, it was the first accident I’d ever had. There was no blame; the police confirmed that nobody was at fault, but I still felt that pieces of the jigsaw were missing. I felt like I needed to complete my story by meeting the EAAA crew who helped me. EAAA’s Aftercare service arranged for me, my daughter Vicki, son Liam and grandchildren Reece, Jacob and Theo to visit the Cambridge base when Dr Patricia was on shift. She showed me photographs from the scene, gave me the answers that I didn’t have, and filled in the gaps. It made me feel better and I could move forward.
I’m now back on my bike – not the same bike, though! I’m even more cautious. I can’t let something like this stop my enjoyment, but it does show that when things go wrong, they can go wrong very quickly. I felt that I needed to show my appreciation, so I set up a donation page on Facebook ‘Together We Ride’ for EAAA to show my appreciation.
Within a few minutes of my incident, EAAA were there. Those minutes can be vital for people who need treatment at the scene, fast.”