A teenage motorcyclist from Foulsham was lucky to be alive today after being thrown under the wheels of a lorry. The father of City College Norwich student Jason Mawe has told how he believes his son only survived because the crash helmet he was wearing took the force of the impact.

A teenage motorcyclist from Foulsham is lucky to be alive after being thrown under the wheels of a lorry.

The father of City College Norwich student Jason Mawe has told how he believes his son only survived because the crash helmet he was wearing took the force of the impact.

The 19-year-old was on his way to college Monday morning when he came off his motorbike and fell in front of a lorry, which drove over his head and arm.

Paramedics and the East of England Air Ambulance were on the scene within minutes and he was rushed to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

The student last night underwent hours of emergency surgery, in an attempt to save his arm, and it was feared he could lose the use of it after his elbow was crushed and he suffered compound fractures.

While it will be months before it is clear what the extent of his arm injuries is, a scan showed no signs of brain damage.

His father Andrew Mawe said: 'I'm amazed it didn't kill him. If the lorry had had any load on it that would have been the end of him.

'Looking at the state of his helmet it is difficult to see how he could survive it.

'It seems to be a miracle that he survived. The fact his head wasn't crushed and that we were all close by and on scene so soon, which must have made a difference.

'The medics were almost shocked that after a trauma like that he hadn't damaged his spine.

'No one was really at fault, he just left it a second too late to brake in time. Luckily the helmet did its job.

'The operation on his arm went fairly well. He was still out when we came away last night and he's got to go see the plastic surgeon. It is not good, but it looks like he won't lose it.'

The crash happened at about 11.30am Monday on a road a mile from Reepham off the B1145.

The Information Computer Technology student who works for Sainsbury's and lives with his parents and three brothers in Foulsham, was unable to stop in time to avoid clipping a car which had braked to allow the lorry to pass. He lost his balance and toppled into the path of the lorry.

But luckily his helmet took the full force of the impact.