A MAN seriously injured in a road accident is helping raise money for disabled youngsters by cycling from his home in Radcliffe to Blackpool.

Peter Crane (35), of Haworth Walk, was involved in a horrific car accident in 1988 which left him in a coma for nearly two weeks and in hospital for ten months.

Now he hopes to raise hundreds of pounds for the Hurdles group for disabled young people in Bury by cycling to the seaside resort.

Mr Crane was a passenger in a car, driven by a work colleague, when one of the tyres blew out while they were travelling at about 50 miles per hour. The car began to swerve and Mr Crane's head smashed through the window and clipped a lamp post as the car continued along the road.

He said: "I was taken to hospital in Bolton, and I don't blame the driver at all. It was an accident. I was unconscious for about two weeks."

The massive head injuries meant Mr Crane had to endure years of occupational and physiotherapy to get his life back on track, and keeping fit and healthy is now part of his everyday regime.

He said: "I have done this ride two or three times already, and I hope to raise more than £150 for the group. I have also done Radcliffe to Buxton too."

Mr Crane has been helping the Hurdles charity through volunteer work and fund-raising since 1992.

The sponsored bike ride is due to begin at 9am tomorrow and Mr Crane hopes to reach the resort by 12.30pm where he will spend the weekend with his sister, Lorraine, and her husband and children. He plans to cycle back on Sunday evening.

It was thought that Mr Crane would not be able to cope alone after the accident, but he fought to regain his independence. And in his spare time has even taken to the stage at the Frog and Bucket in Manchester with his own stand-up routine.