‘Might never walk again’: NRL presenter Ben Dobbin suffers horror injuries in bike crash

Aussie TV and radio personality Ben Dobbin has suffered serious injuries after a horrific accident left him in hospital with a broken neck.

Aussie TV and radio personality Ben “Dobbo” Dobbin has suffered serious injuries after a horrific accident left him in hospital with a broken neck.

The Channel Nine and Triple M presenter says he’s lucky to be alive after he was involved with a pushbike crash, which occurred when he swerved to miss a black snake on the road as he trained for the Noosa Triathlon with cycling coach Cam Hughes

“My front tyre clipped his back tyre and I lost control, shot across [the road], got spat out and went head first into the one and only steel pole,” he told The Sunday Mail from his hospital bed at Brisbane’s Wesley Hospital.

Ben Dobbin came off his pushbike and broke his neck in a horror accident. Picture: Supplied

The TV and radio personality says he’s lucky to be alive. Picture: Supplied

The pair were cycling from Nundah to Hornibrook Bridge on Wednesday when they encountered the snake, which led to the crash that almost left Dobbin “in a wheelchair for the rest of my life”.

“I knew something was wrong straight away and an ambulance was called. I had a CT and MRI and was diagnosed with a fractured C5 vertebrae,” he shared.

The 48-year-old underwent surgery on Thursday night, with doctors telling him that most people with this type of injury “don’t ever walk again.”

Doctors told Dobbin he might never be able to walk again. Picture: Supplied

A neurosurgeon that operated on him through his throat also told the father-of-five that there’s a risk he could lose his voice altogether.

“I told him ‘that’s my career’ and he said ‘my priority is to save you from being in a wheelchair for the rest of your life,’” said Dobbin, who is a co-host on Triple M’s Rush Hour and Sunday Sin Bin, as well as being a sports reporter on Nine.

Dobbin is also a sports presenter on Nine.

Fortunately, Dobbin was able to take his first steps post-surgery on Friday, but it will still be a long road to recovery ahead.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be in hospital for, they haven’t told me,” he said. “I’ve been in agony, but it’s more the mental side of things that’s harder to deal with, if I’m honest.”

“I know one thing, I’ll never get on a bike again.”

It was his Rush Hour co-hosts, Leisel Jones and Liam Flanagan, who first shared the news of the accident on-air last Wednesday, remaining positive as they reassured fans that Dobbin is expected to make a full recovery.

“He had a bit of a tumble on his bike, but he’s OK he’s expected to make a full recovery,” Jones told listeners.