A young speedway rider from the Burnham-based Somerset Rebels who was placed in an induced coma last week has been moved out of intensive care as he makes a strong recovery.
We reported on Saturday that 17-year-old Brendan Johnson, pictured, was taking part in an Isle of Wight National League fixture in Smallbrook last Thursday (August 20th) when he was injured in a high-speed crash.
However, an update on Ben’s website on Tuesday stated that the young rider was no longer in a critical condition.
His father Dave said: “They’re moving Bren out of intensive care today. He’ll be bypassing what they call the high dependency unit as it were. He will be moved into a ‘normal’ ward, and all that appears to need to be sorted is the fact that he apparently has a partially collapsed lung as a result of all the tubes he had in him.”
“That’s not a real problem we’re told and will be sorted with a bit of physio and the the plan is to transfer him to Poole Hospital as soon as they can, so he’s nearer home and some might joke they will be wise to do so as speedway riders are not noted for being model patients!”
“After further recuperation in Poole General, they’ll allow him to come home and hopefully that won’t be too long happening. He’s in very good spirits and I can tell you he’s just cheekily asked Jan, his mother, if she thinks the doctors would let him ride this week.”