Each day, Ian Jay's mother sits at his bedside in the desperate hope that her son will walk again.After sustaining crippling injuries in a horror smash on the Orwell Bridge, he is today battling back from the brink of death.

Each day, Ian Jay's mother sits at his bedside in the desperate hope that her son will walk again.

After sustaining crippling injuries in a horror smash on the Orwell Bridge, he is today battling back from the brink of death.

Mr Jay, 44, formerly of Ipswich, but now living in Glastonbury, was placed on a life support machine after his car was in collision with a lorry on the A14.

At one point his condition was so bad, his father, Ray, said: "It might have been easier if he had died."

Ian Jay's Audi was said to have been dragged 250 yards down the road by the Volvo truck in the incident last December.

He was transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, where he was in a coma for several weeks, but returned to Ipswich Hospital in January after coming off the life support machine.

Mr Jay suffered with serious head injuries, but is now able to say a few words and physiotherapists are trying to get him to walk.

The long ordeal has been extremely distressing for the family.

Speaking to The Evening Star, Ray Jay, said: "My ex-wife Dorothy goes up there every day to see him and sometimes he makes her cry.

"We are just hoping now that he will gradually get better and better, but it's going to be a long, long job.

"I fear he may be paralysed."

Ray Jay makes regular visits to Ipswich Hospital, but finds it difficult to speak to his son.

He said: "It is hard to keep going up there, especially when you go and he is just laying there in the bed and he doesn't even nod his head.

"The way he is reacting it is like he has had a heart attack.

"One side of his body is not very good at all.

"Sometimes I will go up there and he will not look at you. One eye will open, but that's about it.

"He doesn't seem to know anybody, but he called out for Karxa [Ray's daughter] the other day."

The doctors have worked very hard and last week Ian Jay was even helped to the gym by his physiotherapists.

The whole family can only hope that he will pull through.

Ray Jay added: "He is a fighter and given time he may get better, but nobody can say what the future holds."

Police are still piecing together the details of the crash.

A spokeswoman said: "The injured man is a key witness and we will need to speak to him before we can conclude the investigation."

The accident caused traffic chaos in Ipswich - a second crash at the Copdock Mill roundabout brought the town to a near complete halt.

Journeys which normally take about 15 minutes took drivers up to four hours - and the Orwell Bridge itself was closed for most of the day.