Northern Ireland motorcyclist Stephen Thompson has said that he has "no feeling at all" in one of his arms following his serious crash at this year's North West 200 meeting.

Thompson said that the broken bones he received in the crash in Portstewart in May are "now healing".

"But my main concern is I have no feeling in my arm at all," Thompson said in a Facebook posting.

"I am hopeful something can be done but it's going to take a long time."

Thompson, who remains in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital, was making his first public comment since the crash involving three riders at the Northern Ireland motorcycling meeting in which a spectator was also injured.

"I'm lying here thinking all I want is my old life back, going to work, racing my bike and back home to my family and I would be very happy," added the Crumlin man.

"I'm still going to be in hospital for a few weeks yet with doing physio every day and I have a few wounds that need treated every other day.

"But I'm very thankful to be here as I know things were not good for me."

Thompson, 39, sustained a collapsed lung and bleeding on the brain as well as well as leg, arm and hand fractures in the crash.

A fund has been set up which aims to raise money to help aid Thompson's treatment.

Spectator Violet McAfee sustained head and leg injuries in the crash but later told the BBC that was was "confident" of making a good recovery.

Liechtenstein rider Horst Saigar sustained a broken arm in the crash while Englishman Dean Harrison escaped injury.

North West 200 rider Stephen Thompson, seriously injured in a crash at this year's north coast race, has lost his arm, his family has revealed.

The Crumlin man had been rushed to hospital after a three bike smash in which a spectator was also seriously injured.

But the lower part of his injured  arm had suffered so much damage  that it could not be saved, a family source said yesterday.

In a statement, the rider's family told reporters:

“When Stephen had his accident he suffered a lot of injuries, his arm being one of the worst.

“He had the brachial plexus injury and a bad break in the forearm but lots of trauma to the arm.

“He has had lots of problems with the arm since that day.

“We went to the Ulster Hospital last Wednesday for a consultation what we thought for a skin graft and they weren’t happy with it so they admitted him with a view to operate on him immediately.

“He had an operation on his arm on the Thursday as they needed all the surgeons involved.

“The prognosis wasn’t good and the surgeon didn’t give us good news that night.

“They scheduled him in on Saturday for another operation on the arm but unfortunately that didn’t go well either.

“Stephen’s arm suffered so much trauma in the accident and the forearm was suffering from muscle wastage and other problem with blood supply.

“The surgeons explained to us that it was infected and if they didn’t act soon it could be a worse situation than we were in.

“Stephen had to make a life-changing decision - either to lose the lower part of his arm or we could lose him.

“Stephen made this decision on Sunday after speaking to the surgeons and today the operation was scheduled in.

“Stephen has come through today’s surgery well and today is the start of the road to recovery.”


From Crumlin in Co Antrim, the 39-year-old began racing in 1993.

A regular competitor at the North West 200, Isle of Man TT, Ulster Grand Prix and Macau Grand Prix, he has also taken part in a number of short circuit events.

A Go Fund Me page set up to raise money to assist with Stephen’s rehabilitation has currently raised almost £7,000 of its £10,000 target.

(as of 21:00hrs on 23rd July)