A man who lost both his legs in a horrific crash nine years ago has realised his dream of building his own home and describes himself as a ‘lucky man’.

Alexander Quan, of Lyme Regis, was left fighting for his life when a 7.5 tonne truck ploughed into him outside the Mariners Hotel on Silver Street, Lyme, on his 38th birthday on October 15, 2010.

The force of the impact propelled Mr Quan through the window of a hotel and he had to be airlifted to hospital after having one of his legs amputated at the scene. He was placed in an induced coma and spent a number of weeks in intensive care and lost his other leg too.

Originally from the Seychelles, Mr Quan, his wife Lise and son Alexander moved to the UK 13 years ago for a temporary stay so that he could study for his charted accountancy qualification. However, after the incident, the family sought a more permanent move to England.

They had to leave their first floor flat in Lyme Regis and move to a single-storey property just outside of town. After a long period of recuperation, they bought a three-bedroom bungalow which has been renovated into a seven-bedroom home complete with a high-tech lift so he can travel independently around his home.

Recalling the incident, Mr Quan said: “I remember like it was yesterday. I’d just dropped off my son to school and I went back to the flat to get some papers for work that I had forgotten.

“I heard a massive screeching of tyres and as I turned, the truck came hurtling towards me, pushing me straight through the window of the hotel. I blacked out and then woke up with the vehicle towering over me.

“A passer-by, who happened to be a nurse, sat with me until the emergency services arrived. My right leg was amputated by the force of the truck pushing me through the window and was lying on the pavement outside. My other leg was crushed by a concrete wall that fell on top of me and even though the doctors did everything they could to save it, it was amputated a few weeks later.”

Mr Quan waited for them to heal before starting physiotherapy sessions to help him learn to walk with prosthetics.

He added: “It’s been a long, hard struggle but, once I got my balance back and was able to walk using my new legs, life got better.

“I was determined. It took me about two years to walk properly again. I am still learning something new about being an amputee every day but there is no other choice but to get on with it. I had a wife and son and there was no way I was going to let them down.”

The Quans’ home took just six months to build and boasts a games room, home cinema and a bespoke fishpond for Mr Quan’s koi carp built into the conservatory.

Mr Quan said: “After the accident, I dreamed of having a proper house with two levels so when we brought the bungalow, the aim was always to put an upstairs on it.

“I have got a new, modern Stiltz Homelift to help me get up and down the stairs and it has really improved my life. I can even use it with my wheelchair as there is enough space for that too.

“I’m a lucky man to have the life I have now. I could so easily have been killed. Not everyone has got the mindset, but you just have to crack on with life.”

The driver of the truck had to be cut free by firemen and was airlifted to hospital with head injuries. He was charged with driving without due care and attention, but the case was dropped because the Crown Prosecution Service were unsure they could secure a conviction.

Mr Quan added: “I have no hard feelings towards the driver. There is nothing I can do about what happened. It is better to more on with life. I’m a positive person by nature. If I wasn’t, I don’t think I could have got through the last nine years.”