A MAN will appear in court following a horror smash in Lyme Regis that left a father badly injured.

Alexander Quan-Yat-Koon suffered life-threatening injuries in a collision involving a Royal Mail lorry.

Mr Quan-Yat-Koon was badly hurt in the incident in October of last year, which happened at the Mariners Hotel in Silver Street.

The father-of-one, also known as Sandy, spent weeks in intensive care and eventually lost both his legs.

The driver of the Royal Mail lorry has now been charged with careless driving.

The 40-year-old man, from Bournemouth, is due to appear at Bournemouth Magistrates Court on Monday.

He was also injured in the accident which happened on October 15 and was cut free by fire crews before being airlifted to Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester.

The 7.5-tonne lorry was travelling down Silver Street and the accident also involved a trailer being pulled by a Mitsubishi L200 truck. Mr Quan-Yat-Koon, then aged 38, was walking past the hotel when the incident happened.

Restaurant manager Les Glover, who was working in reception, escaped with cuts and bruises.

Trainee accountant Mr Quan-Yat-Koon was airlifted to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

He lost one of his legs in the accident and some months later the other was amputated.

Mr Quan-Yat-Koon formerly lived in Silver Street with his wife Lise and their son Alex but they were forced to move because they could no longer manage the stairs.

They had to move out of Lyme Regis but friends rallied around to help out and raise money to help find them a suitable home in the town.

Staff at the Co-op store in Broad Street, where Mrs Quan-Yat-Koon worked for five years, held a raffle and put out a collection pot.

In just three weeks, generous shoppers had donated more than £2,000.

A group of friends and well-wishers organised a fundraising event in January to help the family out financially.

The Pride of Lyme, a family event held at the Woodmead Halls, raised £4,000, which was presented to the family in March, by which time they were staying with family in Crewkerne.

Following the event, the Quan-Yat-Koons publicly thanked all those who had helped them in the months since the accident in a letter to the Lyme Regis News.

They said at the time: “We would also like to thank all the well-wishers and people who donated to us privately.

“Although we would have liked to thank you personally, most of you did not leave a forwarding address or name.

“Therefore, please accept this heartfelt thank-you from us.”