Shock injury forces jockey to come home

Shock injury forces jockey to come home

6 July 2016

A CROSSGAR jockey flew home from Italy last night for emergency surgery after his leg was crushed by an ambulance coming to his rescue following a serious fall.

Twenty two year-old Chris Meehan faces a long recovery after breaking his nose and suffering a facial wound that required 27 stitches after falling from his horse in a hurdle race at Merano on Sunday afternoon.

But his worst injury was inflicted by the paramedics rushing his aid after the accident when the driver reversed onto his leg, breaking it in several places and dislocating his ankle.

Chris, who went to Italy two months ago for the summer season, fears the ankle injury, caused by the emergency services’ blunder, could potentially end his riding career.

Speaking from Verona airport yesterday afternoon, he said he immediately realised he had sustained serious facial injuries when he was thrown from his horse after it stalled at a hurdle.

And he said it was a small mercy that the adrenaline flowing because of his fall protected him from the reality of what was to happen next.

For the young jockey said he felt nothing when the rescue ambulance drove onto his leg and only screamed because he saw it parked on his limb.

Recalling the accident, Chris says he was in second position when he fell from his horse and was “pounded on” by 10 horses coming behind before being knocked out by a kick to the jaw.

Put into the recovery position by the race starter, he quickly regained consciousness and managed to clear blood from his throat so he could breathe properly awaiting the course ambulance.

“The race course ambulance drove up alongside me. It was a small tight track and they had to turn the ambulance around,” he recalled.

“They stopped the ambulance on top of my leg. I could not feel it at the time because the adrenaline was running. 

“I screamed out of shock rather than pain because I could see it on top of me. They had to push the ambulance off. 

“Although the ambulance driver stayed around while I was in hospital, they were called out to another emergency and I haven’t heard from him since. I am not happy about it to be honest.”

Chris said it is ironic that his dad teaches people in Northern Ireland and England how to drive ambulances, while several family members also work for the Ambulance Service.

“It is bizarre. You couldn’t make this story up,” he said.

“The broken nose is a risk of the game but getting run over by an ambulance is unheard of. Nobody can believe it.

“I might laugh about it now but it was not funny after it happened. I was in a daze and it was only when my friends and girlfriend repeatedly told me what had happened that I remembered it all. My leg is in bits.”

Fearing his dislocated ankle may cause him long term riding problems, Chris says he will just have to wait and see how his recovery unfolds.

He is also determined to be philosophical about his first racing season abroad being cut short.

“The season was going quite well for me and things were really picking up so it is a shame it has ended so soon,” he said.

“Racing is so different in Italy because the ground is rock solid. It means the racing is much faster and I had a few falls.

“But I knew the fall on Sunday was worse than normal and had left me in a bad way. We were going very fast and the horse just dived at the hurdle. He was going to fall himself and I landed in front of him.

“The rest of the field behind me gave me a good kicking. The first kick broke my nose and the second kick got me in the jaw and that put me out.

“As soon as I hit the ground I knew my face was in bits but it was the ambulance accident that has caused most trouble.

“I know my face is grand and will heal but if my ankle dislocates when I am riding that would finish me racing.

“I am a little bit worried but I just have to play it by ear and hope I make a full recovery. Only time will tell.

“What is done is done. You have to get up, brush yourself off and move on. You can’t change what has happened.

“But hopefully the ambulance driver has learned to check his mirrors or has to sit another driving test to stop being so careless again.”