A single teen dad, 17, is in a coma after his motorbike collided with a car while he drove to the shops. The family of Jake Styler say he may need to relearn how to walk and talk following the crash involving his red Lexmoto motorbike on Thursday [October 17].
The dad-of-one, primary carer of his one-year-old son say friends, suffered two blood clots on the brain, crushed feet and hands, a broken nose, and lacerated lungs in the smash. Family friend Josie Littlefield, 51, is raising money to cover the family’s travel from St Austell, Cornwall, to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, each day.
Josie, from Bodmin, said: “Jake may never be the same when he wakes up – he was never perfect, but he was good-as-gold, and such a happy-go-lucky kid. He’s looking after his one-year-old son – it’s been hard enough for the family.”
“But now, they’re having to look after this little man as well. I just want to help them make things a bit easier.”
The crash happened at around 8.30pm on October 17, when Jake was riding his motorbike towards the Co-op in Bugle, St Austell. Jake was knocked off his bike – and an ambulance rushed him straight to The Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro.
“An ambulance turned up, and a police car,” Josie added. “The paramedics thought he was well enough to walk to the ambulance – because he only looked like he had cuts and bruises.”
The teen received a full body scan which revealed he had two bleeds on the brain. He was transferred to Derriford Hospital in the early hours of Friday [October 18] morning, and sent for emergency surgery to stop the bleeds. After surgery, doctors placed him in an induced coma with a breathing tube.
Josie said: “He’s in a bad way – but fingers crossed, he’ll be able to come out of it.” The family friend took Josh, Jake’s twin brother, in to see him on Saturday [October 19].
She said the teen “fell to the floor” upon seeing his brother. “Jake kept making movements after being induced into a coma, and apparently sat up in bed,” she added.
“We think, maybe, it’s because he could hear Josh. Twins are more than siblings – they have such a close bond. We were told Jake’s nurses had to sedate him, they didn’t want him to break any more bones.”
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Jake’s doctors will be removing his feeding tube in the coming days – to see if the teen can breathe on his own, Josie says. They say he may need to relearn how to walk and talk – and he may “never be the same.”
Devon and Cornwall Police are investigating a two-vehicle traffic collision in Bugle on Thursday [October 17] and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has information regarding it in particular dashcam footage – is asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police by calling 101 quoting log number 808 of 17/10/24.