Hampshire motorcyclist sent flying '20 metres' through the air after being hit by swerving van on A32 near Wickham

Scott Lemon, 42, said he feels ‘incredibly lucky’ not to have lost his leg during the collision, which saw the handlebars of his bike hit by the white Peugeot Partner.

Scott, a father of two, fortuitously landed in bush following the crash, but still suffered two broken bones in his hand alongside a depressed kneecap which has left him bedbound since.

Scott's bike

Police and paramedics were called to the scene on April 30, and he was rushed to Southampton General Hospital – where he has since had surgeries to repair the damage to his knee, shin and leg.

The van driver was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

Scott, from Shirrell Heath, said: “The whole thing has been a nightmare. I had only popped out to meet a friend for a cup of tea and I was on my way home when it turned into that. It’s still a bit of a daze, really.”

Scott was travelling back from Loomies café when he decided to take the longer route through Wickham.

Just as he passed the junction by Scotts Haven holiday park, he spotted the van swerve across the road, almost clipping the car in front of him. He was forced the dodge the braking vehicle and hug the side of the road in hope of avoiding a crash.

READ MORE: Man arrested for drink driving after collision between van and motorbike on A32 near Wickham

He said: “I was squished right up against the kerb, literally riding my bike against the concrete in the gutter with my wheels bouncing off the edge. The van just carried on coming, and coming, and coming until my bike hit the front quarter – right where the light is.

“My knee and my leg took all the initial impact. But the handlebar of my bike must have got wedged in the light as I was dragged in and then flicked off the back – I flew about 20 metres through the air.”

Scott had to be cut from the bush and his leathers. He was helped by an off-duty paramedic who was walking his dog in the adjoining field.

He suffered bad bruising down one side of his body and several serious cuts and wounds on the other, some of which required a skin graft.

Scott in hospital

He’s since been discharged from hospital and is back home with his wife Kate, and two children, Logan, nine, and Madison, six. But he said he’s unsure how long it will take for him to make a full recovery, despite receiving some positive news from the surgeons.

He said: “Luckily my kneecap has come back to where it’s meant to be. I didn’t actually break my leg which is incredible really, but I did have all the right gear on.

“The first thing the copper said to me was, ‘you’ve got all the right kit on, you’ve probably just saved your leg there’. My helmet is dented and there isn’t a panel on my bike which isn’t damaged.

"There is nothing else I could’ve done to prevent what happened, and if it had gone a different way, I could be missing a leg now.”

SEE ALSO: Police cameras set to catch speeding motorcyclists on A32 and A272

Scott, a self-employed engineer who repairs and installs renewable heating systems, has had to miss almost two-weeks of work since the crash - with no idea when he’ll be fit to return.

“It has been a nightmare; I’m attempting to keep my business going at the same time which I really don’t need right now,” he said.

A shocking video of the rider getting knocked from his bike had been circulating on social media. Scott said that while it has made for tough viewing, he’s glad the incident was caught on camera.

He said: “Watching the video back gives me nightmares – it’s awful. But in a way I'm happy it was captured as otherwise I'd have been 'just another motorcyclist' going too fast on the A32"

A 45-year-old man from Emsworth has been arrested on suspicion of driving a vehicle while over the alcohol limit.

Hampshire Police have released him under investigation and enquiries remain ongoing.

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