Motorcyclist suffers horrific burns after driver throws litter
WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT: A motorcyclist has been left with third degree burns after his hoodie was set alight when a passing driver flicked a cigarette from their window.
Caleb Dunn, 24, from Florida, US, remains in intensive care after a routine ride on his bike on January 31 ended with a freak accident that left 25 per cent of his body's skin obliterated by flames.
"Next thing I knew, my side was burning red hot, I could barely keep my hands on the handlebars," Mr Dunn told US television station Katu 2.
"I've never been in so much pain in my life."
He turned around to notice flames coming from within his jacket after a stray cigarette butt had set alight his hoodie underneath.
Remarkably he managed to pull over to the side of the road, remove his jacket and brushing off what was left of his jumper.
Stunned bystanders contacted emergency services before Mr Dunn was airlifted to the University of South Alabama Medical Center where he remains in the ICU burn trauma center.
He has been treated with temporary artificial skin which has been placed across the whole of his back, as well as his stomach, half his chest and in his armpit.
Once his body rejects it, he will be able to undergo a skin graft.
Despite being described as a freak accident, Mr Dunn's close friend Lindsay Larney has told drivers to think twice when flicking their cigarettes out of the window.
"Don't flick your cigarette out the window – use your ashtray, use a bottle. It can cause a lot of harm," she said.
Mr Dunn will remain in the ICU for several more weeks and has a lengthy road to recovery with doctors expecting him to remain in hospital for at least six months.
Ms Larney has since started a GoFundMe page in a bid to cover his rising medical bills and help Mr Dunn while he is out of work.
