Many Members will be aware that Barrie Smith was very badly injured whilst motorcycling in France recently. Updates on his condition are now available at:
http://www.chef-from-hell.com/blog/blog/files/aug-2008.html
This site has been set up for all the friends, family and well-wishers who would like to be regularly updated with Barrie's daily progress, whilst in hospital in France, after his terrible accident.
The accident happened at around 2.55pm on tuesday, 15 July 2008, while Barrie was passing through Le Mans on his way to his house in the South West of France. He was riding on a completely straight D road between Le Mans and La Fleche. On his side of the road there was a single lane, whereas on the opposite side had two lanes, a slow and overtaking lane. A lady of 74 years of age was travelling in the opposite direction to Barrie in a Renault Megane. For no apparent reason, her car swerved from the inside slow lane across her overtaking lane and onto the wrong side of the road and headon into Barrie on his motorcycle.
There were eight witnesses who saw the whole incident and who happened to be British. One of the witnesses was an motorcyvle race marshal who being the first on the scene administered first aid which undoubtely saved Barrie's life, although he was concious just after the accident and removed his helmet himself. He suffered multiple injuries at the scene, and after treatment at Le Mans was transferred to Tour where he underwent further surgery to stop serious internal bleeding and has since the accident been kept under sedation in ICU while his injuries heal. As such he has not regained full consciousness but doctors say there are no head wounds or brain damage.
