Nick’s story: ‘The most amount of grief I’ve experienced’
The best friend of intensive care nurse and ambulance officer Nick Grant was killed in a motorbike accident when they were riding together two years ago. Nick’s sharing the trauma of losing Sean Dickey as part of Motorcycle Awareness Month.
I’ll never forget the day of 19 April, 2022.
I’ve thought about Sean – who was a good friend and colleague – every day since.
We’d both finished work for the day and we went out for a ride to Tai Tapu, southwest of Christchurch, for dinner.
We were travelling at the speed limit in the 80km per hour zone when a car pulled out from a T-intersection right in front of us.
The police report said Sean had less than a second to react, while I had just over a second between the car pulling out and colliding with our motorbikes.
We had nowhere to go.
I blacked out a little bit – I don’t remember flying through the air, I just remember coming to on the road.
My work experience kicked in straight away. I’ve worked in many traumatic situations, and I could assess quickly what had happened, as well as my own injuries.
I broke my femur, ankle and suffered a concussion.
But I knew from what I’d seen that Sean was in a much worse condition.
He died at the scene of the crash, and it was devastating.
Nick Grant's friend and colleague, Sean Dickey, tragically died in a motorcycle crash.
The heartbreak of losing a friend
When I got to Christchurch Hospital the emotions just hit me.
I’m thankful for my colleagues, both in and pre-hospital, for the outstanding care they provided to Sean and I.
It was overwhelming and heart-breaking.
It’s probably the most amount of grief I’ve ever experienced. Trying to navigate that has been hard.
Trauma is a frequent event in my line of work, so I’ve had to prepare for that moving forward.
When I’m working on ambulances and get sent to a motor vehicle accident, or look after someone who’s just had one in the intensive care unit, it’s at the front of my mind.
It will always be a soft spot for me.
The motorbikes owned by Nick Grant and Sean Dickey before the accident.
Your gear can save your life
Riding bikes is one of my happy places.
It’s an amazing feeling, but you need to have the skills to earn that right of riding safely, and protect yourself as if your life depends on it, because it does.
I have two strong pieces of advice to motorbike riders.
Firstly, and I can’t stress this enough, you have to wear the right protective gear every time you ride.
There should be no time you’re hopping on a motorbike or moped without full protective gear, which includes a full-face helmet.
I can confidently say my gear saved my life.
Secondly, you need to invest in your training and strive to be the best rider you can be.
Ride Forever is a great programme and the skills you learn could be the difference between life and death.
And lastly, to other road users, always remember to look again for motorcyclists.
Nick Grant with his father and their motorbikes.
Motorcycle Awareness Month
Every year from September, we see a rise in motorcycle crashes, injury claims and fatalities.
Motorcycle Awareness Month is promoted by ACC, the Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council (MSAC), NZ Police, local councils, and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
ACC recommends motorbike riders do three things:
• Check your bikes are well-maintained
• Ensure your gear is up to scratch
• Refresh your skills by completing an ACC Ride Forever coaching programme
For more information and to find a course near you, please visit the Ride Forever website.
