A man has described how his life was turned upside down after suffering catastrophic injuries in a car accident caused by a drink-driver.
Sam Weedon was travelling on the B1118 between Oakley and Hoxne in Suffolk, on March 30, 2023, when his Audi A6 was struck by a vehicle driven by Denny Roberts.
Thirty-nine-year-old Mr Weedon, from Victoria Road in Diss, suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung and a burst fracture to a vertebrae on his spine.
Having undergone a series of operations, he now has metal rods and screws stabilising his spine, and undergoes weekly physiotherapy and hydrotherapy sessions.
As well as continuing issues with his lungs, he has been warned that he could face more spinal surgery in the future.
“I was trapped in my car for around three hours,” Mr Weedon told the Diss Express. “Finally, the fire and rescue were able to remove the car door and get me out.
“It has totally turned my life upside down. I had to close my business of 16 years, S P Plumbing and Heating Services, and it has been so tough on my family.”
Doctors subsequently found that Mr Weedon has severe osteoporosis in his spine – a bone-weakening condition – meaning some of the metal work in his back has not fused correctly.
Roberts, of Billingford, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on March 15 after admitting charges of causing serious injury by careless driving and drink-driving.
He was sentenced to 17 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. He was banned from driving for two years, ordered to pay a £1,500 fine and £1,200 in costs.
The accident has had a devastating impact on Mr Weedon.
“I have been sleeping on a disabled bed in my lounge for the last year and have only just sorted out our bedroom with an en-suite wet room,” he said.
“My wife, Hannah, has to help me with showering and getting dressed.
“I have gone from a six or seven-day workaholic to being registered as disabled. This last year has been a nightmare.”
The father-of-two, who has a 16-year-old daughter, Katie, and a 12-year-old son, George, said that when he found out his injuries had nearly paralysed him, forcing him to close his business, he cut himself off from the rest of the world.
“It was a total and utter change and was through no fault of my own,” he said. “That was hard to get my head around.
“I just hope my old customers now realise what happened with my business, and that the it did not just go bankrupt.
“Work-wise, I am never going to be able to do anything manual again, due to the rods in my spine, but I would like to do something in the future.
“It is just a case of working out what I can do as the doctors have said my recovery is going to take at least two years – and that seems a long way away at the moment.
“All of this has been a big hurdle for us as a family and we still have a long way to go.”
