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A Motorcyclist’s Cautionary Tale
An italicized motorcyclist had his jaw wired shut to prevent his face from collapsing after a crash has vowed to never ride again, and wants to issue a warning to drivers.
Callum Baldwin, 23, a renderer from Canewdon, Essex, was hurled 30 yards into a parked car after he was cut off and knocked over by a van while riding his Yamaha motorbike in Leigh-on-Sea in April 2022.
Surviving a Severe Collision
Travelling at 30mph at the time of the collision, the impact was so severe that Callum bit straight through his tongue and shattered several teeth, but he miraculously survived the crash â which was captured on CCTV.
Asked whether he has a message for van drivers, Callum said pay attention.
Callum was rushed to hospital where doctors were forced to wire his jaw shut to prevent his face from collapsing after scans revealed that he had fractured his cheek and chin.
Dental Dilemma
One of his teeth came loose a few days after the crash but with his jaw wired shut Callum was unable to open his mouth so had no choice but to swallow it.
Two years later
Callum still has to wear a balaclava when the temperature drops below freezing otherwise his face aches and he cannot enjoy fizzy drinks or foods like salt and vinegar crisps as they make his tongue burn where he bit through it.
Callum was awarded upwards of £100,000 after taking legal action against the van driver who cut him off and has said he will never buy a motorbike again.
I saw the car coming towards me and I thought⦠Iâm dead, Callum told PA Real Life.
Quote
“I have never felt that bad in my life.”
Description
Callum has always loved “anything with an engine” from cars to jet skis – and has been riding motorbikes since he was about 10 years old, before purchasing his 125cc Yamaha in September 2021.
Life-changing Experience
But a routine trip on the motorcycle to Leigh-on-Sea at around 7.35am on April 8 2022 to drop off some keys for work would change Callum’s life forever.
Collision Incident
Without warning a van cut across Callumâs path and collided with him, sending him hurtling towards a parked car on the side of the road.
Description
He struck the vehicle with such force and speed that it briefly lifted the car off the ground.
“There was nothing I could do, he just cut me up, crushing my knee and foot and then I was flying in the air,” he said.
“I can’t believe I survived.”
– What a terrifying experience.
– I am grateful to be alive.
Someone ran over to me and asked if I was dead.
– Someone ran over to me and asked if I was dead.
I was in total shock.
“I was in total shock.”
I tried to get up and walk but fell back down, he said.
Medical Emergency
Callum was rushed to Southend General Hospital before being transferred to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex.
Scans revealed Callum had suffered serious injuries to his fingers and knee, and broken his foot and multiple bones in his face.
– Several of his teeth were also shattered in the crash and Callum’s cheek bone was fractured.
To prevent his face from collapsing completely, doctors were obliged to wire his jaw shut.
– To prevent his face from collapsing completely, doctors were obliged to wire his jaw shut.
My tongue just wouldn’t stop bleeding where I had bitten it so they had to stitch it up, he said.
They put a plate in my chin and used loads of elastic-type bands to keep it in place.
– They put a plate in my chin and used loads of elastic-type bands to keep it in place.
Restriction in Diet
For the next eight weeks, Callum could only eat blended ice creams, yogurts and water through gaps in his teeth.
“It was so hard not being able to eat,” he said.
“I couldn’t even use a straw.”
– I couldn’t even use a straw.
Mum was my rock.
But mum was my rock.
Story of Recovery
âNow, I canât eat any of those things because they remind me of what happened.â
Walking up stairs and moving around also proved difficult for Callum because of his damaged knee and foot.
Overcoming a Challenging Situation
– It took him over three hours to eat chilli and rice after doctors removed the wire and he was finally able to move his jaw.
“It was so hard to eat. I couldn’t believe it,” he added.
Recovery Journey
It was wired shut for that long that it took me a couple weeks to open my mouth again.
“I still can’t open it fully without feeling it.”
– She whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
– The box held too many memories.
– She wasn’t ready to let go.
Symptoms
Even now, two years after the accident, Callum still suffers with symptoms, including being hyper sensitive to the cold.
“If it’s cold outside, my face aches so I’ve always got my hood up or a balaclava,” he said.
I have to wrap up or suffer it.
– I have to wrap up or suffer it.
The left-hand side of Callum’s face remains numb to this day and he tries to avoid “fizzy drinks” and “sour foods” which sting his tongue.
“Where I bit through my tongue there’s now a scar,” he said.
Financial Support for Callum
While he does not wish to reveal the exact amount, Callum received upwards of £100,000 with the help of his lawyer.
