A BRITISH Army veteran is at risk of never walking again after a horror e-scooter crash in Dubai.
Mark Houghton, 58, suffered a serious spinal injury on his way to get his hair cut – paralysing him below the neck.
The family of Mark from Southampton is devastated by his situation. Mark, who received an MBE in 2005, is in need of urgent care. They have started a GoFundMe page to raise funds to bring him back to the UK.
It will cost around £25,000 to fly Mark, who was working in the UAE city, to his home country.
His son Lawrence, 35, is hopeful his dad can make a partial – or even full – recovery in time.
Lawrence told The Sun: “There was an obstruction in the middle of a footpath but he didn’t see it and ploughed straight into it.
“The pure force of hitting it broke his neck and sent him flying quite some distance.
“Because he’d broken his neck, he couldn’t move.”
Currently living in Dubai with his wife, Mark is a trustee for the UK charity Caring Kits for Kids. He was rushed to a hospital for critical treatment.
“I’ve got to say, he shouldn’t be here by right,” Lawrence said.
“But the hospital in Dubai did a marvellous job.”
After the accident on February 22, Mark has started regaining sensation in his legs and can now breathe independently. However, he still lacks the ability to use his arms.
He added: “His arms are probably going to be the last thing to come back.
“He’s got no mobility, so he can’t actually use anything properly.
“It’s almost like the signals have been scrambled, so his body has to relearn how to walk, breathe and do all the normal stuff we take for granted.
“But the main thing is he can. He’ll never be back to his normal self, 100 per cent, but they’re confident he’ll make a good recovery.
“You never really know what the true damage is until the swelling has gone down.”
But his family now want to bring Mark back to the UK for his recovery, especially as he had planned to move back.
Lawrence added: “The level of care in the UAE is phenomenal.
“But we want to get him back to the UK now to continue his recovery.
“Dad has dedicated his life to serving others through a distinguished military career and a deep commitment to charitable causes; and we are now hoping to find support for him in his time of need.”
So far, well-wishers have donated more than £8,000 towards the £25,000 target.
Brits injured in e-scooter crashes
E-SCOOTERS have become a staple mode of transport for Brits travelling abroad.
But they don’t come without a string of dangers, with dozens of tourists being injured – or killed – in crashes involving the e-scooters.
In 2019, a Brit tourist was put in intensive care after a freak accident while she was on holiday in the US.
The teen, who was 18 at the time, suffered a brain injury after the hired e-scooter she was riding on hit a pothole.
In 2021, a 21-year-old student was left with a deformed leg after her bone shattered during a horror e-scooter crash while in Rome.
The woman severed an artery when the e-moped she was on collided with a Smart Car in Rome.
She underwent three operations before being flown home and since returning to the UK had to undergo a further five.
At the time, Jayne Murphy, from Irwin Mitchell, said e-mopeds were one of a series of electric vehicles becoming popular across European holiday destinations.
She said: “Those using e-mopeds and e-scooters, whether at home or whilst on holiday, need to exercise caution as these vehicles are unfamiliar to other road users.”
