A MOTORCYCLIST who broke his back after coming off his bike says his life was saved by his packed lunch.

Teenager Reece Jefferies — who now faces a long road to recovery — even felt well enough to take a selfie in the back of the ambulance just minutes after the smash.

The 18-year-old was travelling along Bolton Road, just past the Kearsley roundabout in Farnworth, when he crashed into a car as it pulled into a side street.

He now faces a gruelling recovery after fracturing his spine.

He said: “When I went to take a selfie while I was strapped to the stretcher, the paramedics just laughed at me.

“Fortunately they didn’t tell me to stop and I wasn’t in too much pain to do it. We all had a bit of a laugh about it.

“I was very lucky, because the bag of food that I had with me might have saved my life. It took a lot of the impact when I hit the ground, and it was all squashed when I opened my bag later. I’m very glad I had it with me.

“I had a full Jamaican ginger cake in my bag. It was crushed flat when I fell.

“I actually still have it in the fridge. I might put it in a little frame. Maybe it saved my life.

“I was on my way to work. It was in my backpack. I was going to have it for my lunch.”

The crash, last Tuesday, sent Reece flying off his motorbike and onto the road, landing on his back.

He suffered a fractured L1, one of the lumbar vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis, and also damaged a bone in his pelvis.

Reece, who works at the Aalco Metals warehouse in Farnworth, spent three days at Royal Bolton Hospital and was fitted with a back brace before being released on Friday.

He said: "The car pulled out and by the time I saw him it was only three or four metres away. I tried to hit the brakes but it was too late, I didn't have enough time to stop.

"I flipped over and must have landed on my back. I have got a back brace on now. I have to wear it for at least eight weeks, then I have another appointment to see if my back has straightened enough.

"It's a bad injury but it could have been a lot worse. I could have been more badly hurt and I'm glad that I was able to go home after a few days."

He is now adjusting to life back home in Hazel Grove, Ringley, as he begins the recovery process.

Reece added: "It has affected my life a lot, as I need a carer to look after me because I'm restricted from doing things myself like getting dressed and making my own food.

"I can't get changed properly, I can't lean down, and I can't walk any faster than two miles an hour or my back will really start hurting.

"I have got to sleep on my back and I can't even stand up by myself. It's like I have no strength in my body whatsoever.

"Fortunately, I have a big family and there are lots of people around to help and support me."

The teenager has been riding motorbikes since last January and had just purchased his Honda Repsol bike a month ago for £2,100.

Despite his accident, Reece is keen to get back on the bike as soon as he can.

He added: "The engine still starts but the front of the bike is gone. It's badly damaged and it will cost a few hundred pounds to repair, so I have to see if the insurance will cover it.

"I won't stop riding because of this. I want to be back out there again as soon as possible."

Police are not investigating the accident.