Mum nearly loses eye after crashing £180 e-scooter she bought to ride to shops
A woman nearly lost an eye after crashing her £180 e-scooter which she had bought to get to the shops.
Limara Greenwood, 39, struggles to get around because she lives with a spinal condition, so she decided to buy a second-hand e-scooter as she feared she would be judged if she used a mobility scooter.
But after her traumatic fall two months ago, the mum-of-two from Bridgwater, Somerset, wants to warn others about the dangers they could face when using e-scooters.
The woman, who fractured her eye socket, lost her teeth and broke her jaw, said the crash changed her life - as the way she talks and the shape of her mouth now feel different.
The e-scooter broke after the crash (Limara Greenwood / SWNS)The crash also left her with anxiety, as she explained: "Now even if I see someone hit their face on the TV, it really triggers anxiety for me.
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"I still suffer with memory problems, headaches and tiredness. E-scooters can be so dangerous."
Limara was diagnosed with a degenerative spinal disc disease aged 15.
She decided to buy the e-scooter after a failed spinal surgery in her 20s left her worse off.
Limara is living with a spinal condition and struggles to get around (Limara Greenwood / SWNS)
A scan of Limara's injuries (Limara Greenwood / SWNS)She said: "It was just a regular electric scooter you see everyone flying around on.
"It was not something I was going out on every day. It was just to help me get around given my disability.
"To be honest I never really went very far - only to the supermarket across from my house.
"I suffer from degenerative disc disease and one disc has been fused with titanium.
"But unfortunately the consultant says it actually left me worse off.
"They also can't do anything about the second disc that is going, and there are a couple fusing together in my upper back too.
Limara wants to warn other people of the dangers of using e-scooters (Limara Greenwood / SWNS)
Limara nearly lost an eye in the crash (Limara Greenwood / SWNS)"So it's quite important I'm able to get mobile. I looked into getting a sit-down mobility scooter at first.
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"But I suffer with anxiety as it is, and being young still I worried people would stare while I was out and about."
But Limara now regrets her decision - after crashing on November 7 last year.
She said: "I was just crossing a zebra crossing only about 100 yards from my front door.
"I turned when I got to the pavement, and with the wheels being so small, it buckled slightly and sent me flying.
Limara said the crash was 'shocking' (Limara Greenwood / SWNS)
Limara also displaced her cheekbone (Limara Greenwood / SWNS)"Because my hands were on the handlebars, those were the only things I didn't use to stop my fall.
"The impact fractured my eye socket twice. I was quite frightened to be honest, because they said that I had got off lightly.
"I could have suffered brain damage, or lost my eye - or even died. It was quite shocking.
"I displaced my cheekbone, which unfortunately surgery couldn't put back because the bone had already started fusing.
"I also broke my jaw, and broke three teeth. I'm really surprised that I didn't knock myself out.
"I just got up after the crash and managed to get myself to the front door - no cars stopped to help me."
Photos taken after the crash show how Limara's face started to slowly become worse and worse as the hours went by.
The e-scooter also snapped clean in half. Limara was then in and out of hospital - visits have also left her financially vulnerable.
She says it costs her £300 in taxi fares alone to attend her appointments.
Limara is now looking at getting a mobility scooter. She said: "Now I've got no choice though, so I'm looking into getting a proper sit down scooter.
"I just want to warn people to be careful on the e-scooters."
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