Colin Appleton, a cyclist, underwent emergency surgery to remove part of his skull and spent weeks in a coma after crashing into a fly-tipped asbestos shed on a country lane in 2024. He was given just a 10% chance of survival.
Life-Changing Injuries and Recovery
Upon emerging from the coma, Appleton did not recognize his own children. He appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain to recount his ordeal. Presenters Kate Garraway and Ranvir Singh detailed that Appleton suffered severe head injuries, requiring surgeons to remove a quarter of his skull to save his life.
“When I first woke up, I didn't recognise my kids,” said Appleton, a former double-glazing service engineer. “I didn't even know they were my kids. But slowly but surely, it all started fitting in.”
Details of the Accident
His daughter explained that Appleton likely rode over wood containing a nail, which punctured his tyre and sent him over the handlebars. She received a call from her brother saying their father had been airlifted to a London hospital. “I knew it was serious,” she said. “They told us he had two bleeds on the brain and had to have a massive operation to allow the brain room to expand. They couldn't promise when he would wake up or what he'd be like.”
The family took recovery day by day. “He couldn't talk, couldn't speak. We would have to get him to squeeze our hands. It was a long process,” she added.
Call for Stricter Penalties
The fly-tipper was convicted, but Appleton and his family are calling for fly-tippers who cause accidents to be banned from driving and required to retake their driving tests. His daughter noted, “My dad has lost his driving licence due to his injuries, whereas the guy that fly-tipped has had nothing done with his licence—no points, no ban, hasn't had to retake a test. Once he served his time, he can go back to his normal life, whereas my dad's life will never be the same.”
Appleton has since undergone reconstructive surgery. When asked about his current condition, he said, “I can't believe how good I am, considering what little chance I had to start off with.”
