Alex Derham, with his girlfriend Tanika Callister, faces a long recovery after a car accident.
Camera IconAlex Derham, with his girlfriend Tanika Callister, faces a long recovery after a car accident. Credit: Supplied/Marie Nirme        www.communitypix.com.au d469322

St James: pizza delivery driver faces long road to recovery after accident

Aaron CorlettSouthern Gazette

The pizza delivery driver (21) was hit by a four-wheel drive on Albany Highway in St James on May 8 when he was riding his moped.

Police are still looking for the driver, who allegedly left the scene after the incident.

After being released from Royal Perth Hospital, Mr Derham is recovering with the help of his girlfriend, Tanika Callister.

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“I’ve got 11 fractured vertebrae, three fractured ribs, a lacerated spleen and kidney and a collapsed lung,” he said.

“It could have been worse, it’s not as bad as it could have been.

“I’m unfit for 60 days, and I need to wear a brace from my neck to my waist for 13 weeks, and then there will be more rehab to do.

Mr Derham said he knew he was going to hit the car.

“When I saw the car, I thought, ‘Oh well, I’m going to hit it’ so I aimed for the bonnet instead of the door because then I would have stopped dead,” he said.

“I couldn’t breathe and my spine was in immense pain.

“It only took about a minute for the paramedics to come there; apparently there’s an ambulance depot nearby.

“They were worried about internal bleeding; it was pretty intense and they put me on oxygen.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for Mr Derham’s medical bills.

“I’m a bit worried about it (bills); I’m trying not to think about it too much,” he said.

“I’ll get workers compensation, but it takes a while to go through and this is a buffer.

“It feels good to know people care about me.”

To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/alex-derham-hit-and-run-trauma.