British foodie floored in Phuket road horror crash leaves hospital
A British restaurant boss, recovering in Thailand after being left for dead in a horror road crash just one day after his travel insurance expired, has left hospital.
Ricky Eury, a popular figure in Bristol’s food scene, was critically injured while crossing a road in Phuket, Thailand, when he was mown down by a motorbike in a devastating late-night collision.
The award-nominated chef behind Gorilla Thai Kitchens suffered a fractured skull, brain bleed, shattered nose and broken ribs after he was struck by a Yamaha XMAX motorbike reportedly ridden by Russian couple Sergei and Svetlana Medvedev, who were arrested at the scene.
The 39 year old, originally from Hanham, had been in Thailand since February, training in Muay Thai and scouting inspiration for his restaurant, when the nightmare unfolded.
Although now discharged from hospital, Eury remains under close medical supervision and is currently too unwell to fly home.
The Bristolian still has a piece of fractured skull lodged in his brain and suffers from severe double vision that could last up to a year.
His friend Harry Bradford told a BBC reporter the difficulties of helping given he’s so far away.
“It’s been difficult to find out what’s going on. So we’re just doing all that we can.
“He’s still got skull fractures and a bleed on the brain. It is slowly healing but it’s just a waiting process. How long it takes before he’s allowed to fly home is just an unknown.”
To make matters worse, Eury’s travel insurance had expired just a day before the crash, leaving him and his loved ones with spiralling medical costs. Friends believe he may need to remain in Thailand for three to six more months, with bills already far exceeding £30,000.
A fundraiser set up to support Eury’s recovery has topped £30,000 (1.35 million baht), with supporters now planning a benefit night at Lost Horizons in Bristol on May 10 to help with mounting expenses.
His father said Eury had poured his energy into fitness and food, earning praise for his bold Thai-inspired cooking back home in the UK. Now, the tight-knit Bristol food and fight communities are rallying behind him.
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