Injured man vows to continue cross-Canada scooter journey despite broken bones suffered in hit-and-run - Action News
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Injured man vows to continue cross-Canada scooter journey despite broken bones suffered in hit-and-run

A Polish man riding across Canada on a scooter plans to ultimately finish his journey, despite being struck by an SUV east of Calgary.

Piotr Glowacki was hit Sunday while riding his 50cc scooter east of Calgary

Piotr Glowacki vowed from his hospital bed Wednesday, left, to complete his ride across Canada on a 50cc scooter after being hit by a vehicle on the Trans-Canada Highway. (CBC/Spencer Kennedy)

A Polish man riding across Canada on a scooter plans to ultimately finish his journey, despite being struck by an SUV east of Calgary.

Piotr Glowacki was hit Sunday night while riding the scooter he nicknamed "Papak" as he headed out of the city on the Trans-Canada Highway.

He required a lengthy surgery to repair severely broken bones in his left leg and says he plans to get back on the road once he's recovered.

"Maybe in three months they told me, I'm going to be able to drive after three months," he told CBC News. "I'm going tobe back, repair the scooter, I don't know if it's something to repair because some guys told me it's in pieces."

RCMP arrested a suspect earlier this week.

Glowacki said he's amazed by the generosity he's encountered in Calgary, especially from members of the Apocalypse Scooter Club, who have been helping him on his way.

"This club, you know how many times they help me? I sleep in their houses, everything, they give me all of the parts... it's amazing," he said.

Glowacki arrived in Calgary in mid-April and his bike broke down, but he was helped by members of the club, who got him back on the road.

Series of Calgary catastrophes stalls Polish scooter driver's attempt at new world record

7 years ago
Duration 0:40
A Polish man on what might be a world-record setting trip around the world by scooter managed to get through danger zones in countries like Afghanistan, Russia and Kazakhstan but he's now in hospital in Calgary after a hit and run.

He suffered yet another breakdown in Saskatchewan, however, and club members again came to his rescue, with one driving east to pick him up and bring him back to Calgary for repairs.

He was heading out for the second time when he was hit.

Glowacki has already travelled through Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and Europe on his 50cc machine, part of an effort to set a new Guinness World Record, which currently sits at 14,434 kilometres, set by Ukrainians Theodore Rezvoy and Evgeniy Stoyanov from Odessa, Ukraine, to Ulan Ude, Russia, in 2013.

Club president Spencer Kennedy said he's been told Glowacki has already gone 22,000 kilometres so has "unofficially smashed it."

Glowacki began touring on a scooter in 2007, buying his first mini motorbike in Greece. From there he travelled to Egypt and Syria. Then in 2011 he visited Russia and Scandinavia followed by Mongolia in 2013.

When not on a scooter travelling around the globe, Glowacki works at refineries doing coating and insulation along with being a freelance contractor on pipelines.

With files from Mike Symington