Thunderbox in hospital

Dear all,
This post is to inform the wider community that a well known Coupe owner, enthusiast and active member of this forum and club has been involved in a terrible cycling accident.
Thunderbox, aka Chris Pye of Worthing was recently involved in a horrendous collision whilst on a 21 mile training ride. He was either squashed or forced into the side of a truck on the A24. He has sustained serious fractures to his neck and shoulders and head a injury (inc. a bleed on the brain).
He has been in intensive care, but has now been moved to a care ward. He is in full body cast/armour and has limited mobility. He has been in to theatre for the fractured neck (C-section) but is now back on the ward.
I'm sure that we all want to wish him a speedy and full recovery from this terrible event. My thoughts go out to him and his family, especially at this time of year when all we want is to be together at home.

I will be visiting him on Tuesday in Brighton Hospital to alleviate the boredom - well that's the intention anyway

I hope we all have a better Christmas than Chris, best wishes to you all, Ross.

Sad to read this news and wish Chris all the best and hopefully, a full recovery.

Please pass on our best wishes Ross and our thoughts are with him and his family.

Sorry to read this - Wishing all the very best for a full and speedy recovery

Very sad news . Tell Chris and Jean I'll be thinking of them over Christmas/new year and all the best for a speedy and full recovery .

Crikey, sounds horrific. All the best to Chris and family.

Get well soon Chris! Sad news. Best wishes go out to you and your family.

Don't know the chap but that sounds horrendous and I wish him all the best for a speedy recovery amongst the support of his family.

I don't know Chris either, but from a fellow cyclist (albeit a lazy one) best wishes for a full recovery.

As others have said, I hope Chris has a full and speedy recovery.

Shocking and sad news.

Ross pass on my best wishes to Chris and get well soon.

Give a big kiss to Jean, all our thoughts are with her and Chris.

Ross - thanks for posting to let us all know. Please pass on my and Sara's best wishes to him and Jean - shocking news.

Please send my best over. What a horrific thing to happen. I hope for a speedy recovery.

Best wishes go to Chris from Warsaw, too.

Get well quickly, mate!

Terrible news to read. Pass on good wishes to a healthy recovery, Ross.
All the best Chris.

Fingers crosses he gets better, I think(and hope) the determination he has as a cyclist will power his recovery.

James Cracknel had a bad accident and has recovered although is a changed man but i think he has written a book on it, it might be worth getting for him. The radio interview I listened about his recovery was amazing!

Well done going to visit him it will help him, I had a friend who nearly died and he said it was great that our pool of friends all visited him.

Ross, pass on my well wishes to Chris and a speedy recovery

What a terrible thing to happen, makes me go cold just thinking about it so I hope it's speedy recovery back to full health.

Good heavens that's terrible...

As Edinburgh says: Please pass on best wishes from 'us up here' to him...


I once met a fellow coupe driver in Maplins in Brighton about 15 years ago. He was struggling with a key and had suffered a small motorway mishap in his car. It now wouldn't start.

What a terrible thing to happen. I hope Chris will soon be on the road to recovery. Sending love and positive vibes.

Hi Ross, that is shocking news! Please give our best regards to Chris and Jean and hope for a speedy recovery.

Horrible news. All the best and a speedy recovery

Sending my best wishes and hope for a speedy recovery!

Get well soon, Thunderbox.

Cycling is getting as dangerous as motor cycling these days.
Drivers just don't seem to pay as much attention as they used too and peds, cyclists and bikers always come off worst.

Hope you make a good recovery.

Hi Ross, please give myself and Sam's best wishes to Chris and Jean. Keep in touch with his recovery

Wishing you a speedy and full recovery Thunderbox.

Update on Thunderbox,
Chris is in remarkably good spirits concidering and has lost none of his dry wit!
He is though, as is to expected, in a great deal of discomfort after the accident and proceeding surgery. He is getting a steady stream of visitors to help him through this very uncomfortable period, but tires easily.
It was great to see him, and there is talk of moving him possibly a little closer to home if the support staff are available.
Both he and Jean were enormously grateful for all the messages and card of support and goodwill. Thank you on their behalf.
I will keep you all posted after the next visit or before if I get further news.
Kind regards, Ross

Sounds promising. Please send all the best from myself and Mrs Pigman and wish for a speedy recovery.

Good news.
Spoke briefly to Chris on two meets and just came across as a very nice guy.
Thanks for the update Ross.

Ross, a bit late to this, but please add my name to the list of those who pass on their best wishes to Chris for a speedy recovery.

Amidst the tinsel, this sort of thing reminds us of what is precious.

If you think he would appreciate the dodgy humour, please tell him that if he was trying to work out what the yellow pointy things were on the truck's wheels, it would have been much safer to ask in here.

Mark

Have they given any idea how long Chris might be in hospital?

No indication, John.
I didn't like to ask to be honest, it's a bit early to say I would have thought

Thanks for the update Ross, it's good to read he's in good spirits under the current circumstances.

Glad to hear he has not lost his sense of humour hope he and Jean get to be closer to home sooner rather than later.

Only just saw this post!!! Really sad to hear this bad news. Top bloke Chris!!! Wish him a speedy recovery.

Hello Friends,
Just a brief 'hello' from my hospital bed!

Pretty bad 'wipe out' on A24 on a foreign Tautliner "stopped" across the carriageway. A series of singular bad fractures being dealt with by various departments of Brighton Tauma Unit but I'll live and survive!!!

Jean will obviously be taking the angle grinder to all of that beautiful carbon fibre but I'm sure staying married is more important than collecting more and more "bike jewellery"!!!!

Hopefully physio and rehab nearer home from next week- another update next week!

Many thanks from all my friends here on the Forum- literally brought tears to my eyes- God bless us all!
Regards,
Chris

Wow, only 9 days since news of such a horrific accident and you're compos mentis and seem in good spirits. Yes, this forum is a bit special. Wishing you well on your speedy recovery.
Pigman (aka Pete)

Excellent news Chris you're starting to recover.

Agree with Jean maybe it's time to give up the bike. You have been very lucky, next time you might not be.

Take care.

This makes such positive reading after the initial description. Although it's unlikely we'll meet, after noting your surname is the same as my mother's (born in N. Wales, with another branch in W. London), I thought I'd offer potential familial best wishes

Yo Chris, sounds like your damage and recovery prospects are much like mine were after I, er, unexpectedly landed the paraglider.

After the initial ouch, the main thing I was was bored, so if there's anything you need, drop a line.

Good news and a Happy and healthy 2016

Just seen this Chris. Love from Julie and I to you both.Speedy recovery, will liaise with Ross and if youre up to it will visit. Best of British.

Submariner- love a visit; just liaise with Ross.

Hi Chris,
Glad to see your fingers are doing the talking.
I'll chat with Jean and see what we can arrange. See you soon, Ross.

Ditto that, have a happy and healthy new year

Happy New Year to you all.
A progress update on Chris; Julie, David (Submariner) and I went to visit today. It was great to see Chris in boisterous mood and full of positive spirit. He looks a great deal better than last time and is getting bored of being in hospital, understandably! There is talk of him possibly being allowed home to pester Jean in a week or so's time. I'm not sure if she's happier with out of the way or underfoot? Only joking
He has much increased mobility, body armour/neck support allowing and is pretty much fully mobile.
It was great to see you making such good progress Chris and we all wish you the best for 2016 - Good Health

Excellent news and update, thanks Ross

Well done Chris and I hope you can get home soon

Excellent news Chris's recovery is going well.

Chris you need to make a full recovery before we meet up again in the Spring.

Happy New Year Jean and Chris from Arianna, Isabella and myself.

Hi folks!,

I am now out of hospital and back home. Wearing a neck brace for at least 5 more weeks!! Much better for sleeping and having my home comforts.

Many thanks to all for their kind thoughts and best wishes and also Ross, Dave and Julie for popping in to see me in hospital.

I now have to go and see the surgeon every two weeks to work out when the collar can come off and more physiotherapy to get my neck muscles ready to carry 10kg of head around again after a 12 week holiday!!

Needless to say Jean has been a tower of strength and has re-inforced the 'no cycling' rule; except under very controlled conditions in the future!!

Edinburgh:- I'll send you a PM- we may be related!?

More later.

Chris

Oh blimey I only just stumbled across this thread

I'm sorry to hear of your pains and issues from the accident and hope too you make a 100% recovery - I won't mention this to my missus who's just bought a bike

Get well soon mate, and best wishes for 2016 and beyond to you and your very supportive wife!

Excellent news, Chris. Continue the gettingbetterness.

10kg? Is that how much a head weighs? Enquiring minds want to know!

An arm weighs 3.7 kilos according to one of my pupils but he didn't specify if that was full or empty....

Really good to hear that you're out of hospital and wishing you a speedy recovery now that you're home.

Cycling "under controlled conditions" - sounds like an indoor exercise bike to me.

My heads got to be more than 10kg - everyone's always said I'm much denser than that...

Same with heads really ................

I know, maybe we could weigh our heads!

P.S. Get well soon Thunderbox. Terrible misshap!

Only just seen this thread, sounds horrendous but glad you seem to be recuperating well. All the best for a speedy recovery.