Full-fledged motorcycles are not the only two-wheeled vehicles drivers need to pay special heed to on the roads. Smaller-scale versions of motorcycles, known as mopeds, are just as tough, if not harder, to detect out on the streets. Similarly, a car accident that snares one of these vehicles can cause very serious injuries.

This proved to be true for a man in Augusta, Georgia, who was riding a moped at the time of a motor vehicle accident. He suffered serious injuries as a result.

The 74-year-old man, a local missionary, used to travel around town on his bicycle to carry out his work. It was not until recently that the man upgraded from a bicycle to a moped to get from location to location. During one such trip, the man was hit by a truck while traveling on Deans Bridge Road. His wife was riding alongside of him at the time of the accident, and fortunately escaped with minor scratches.

The man was not as fortunate, sustaining head injuries that put him in a coma. He recently emerged from that coma to the delight of his family, but he still has a long way to go. Currently, he receives food from a feeding tube, but is able to somewhat move his arms and legs. He still cannot speak.

Doctors said they would need to wait for about a year in order to determine how much of his brain function he lost. However, his family is happy that the man is simply out of the coma and sitting up, able to interact somewhat with loved ones.

There was no indication on how far police have come in their investigation into the crash or if any charges will be filed against the driver who hit the moped riders. The family would be within their rights to pursue a civil lawsuit seeking monetary damages, which could help put a dent in their medical bills.

Source: The Augusta Chronicle, "Missionary injured in mo-ped wreck out of coma," Meg Mirshak, Dec. 13, 2011