The career of one of Northern Ireland’s top sportsmen is hanging in the balance after a terrifying accident almost cost him his life.

World number three motocross rider Gordon Crockard lost eight pints of blood, suffered a broken collar bone, several fractured vertebrae, broken ribs and severe bruising to his chest and lungs in a horror smash at Hawstone Park near Wolverhampton.

Crockard came off his bike at about 50mph on the first corner of a race in the annual Hawkstone International event, and was left fighting for his life after a number of other bikes ploughed into him at high speed.

The 30-year-old Newtownards man, who was expected to win this year’s British Championship, also had emergency surgery to remove his spleen.

He had to be heavily sedated and was put on a ventilator in the intensive care unit at Shrewsbury Royal Hospital.

Miraculously the racing ace, admired for his courage and determination, has defied medics and re-gained consciousness for the first time last night.

The rider is expected to remain in the hospital’s high dependency unit for the next fortnight.

Crockard’s Saintfield-based manager, Paul Maguire, told the Belfast Telegraph the bike ace was “lucky to be alive.”

“He is doing quite well now. He is talking and conscious and breathing on his own so we are all breathing a big sigh of relief.

“He lost about eight pints of blood from an injury his abdominal area and the surgeon said he doesn’t know how he survived. He is definitely lucky to be alive.

“He was taken down by another rider and then a number of riders hit the left side of his body. It was a fast right-hand bend and he has ridden the course many times before.

“He was rushed to hospital and went into theatre on Sunday to have an operation to remove his spleen. He suffered a broken collar bone, broken ribs, several fractured vertebrae, bruising to his lungs and chest and they feared because of this bruising he may not be able to breathe on his own.

Last night it was not known whether Crockard would ever return to professional racing. It is thought his recovery will take several months.