The fiancée of Outback Truckers’ Paul ‘Sludge’ Andrews has revealed the reality tv star is about to be transferred to a brain rehabilitation hospital after suffering serious head injuries in a motorcycle accident.
The much-loved truck driver was rushed to hospital two weeks ago after suffering head injuries, several broken bones, torn ligaments, bruising and abrasions in the crash.
His fiancée Wendy Kennedy has revealed he will be transferred to Fiona Stanley brain rehabilitation centre, in south Perth, on Friday as he begins his long road to recovery.
‘It’s a very tough time,’ Ms Kennedy told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It is going to be a very long, slow road for his recovery.
‘It’s amazing how in an instant life can change.’
The latest health setback comes after Sludge suffered broken ribs and bleeding on the lungs earlier this year, several months after he popped the question to his longtime partner.
Outback Truckers star Paul ‘Sludge’ Andrews is pictured with his fiancée Wendy Kennedy
The popular reality tv star is recovering after he was badly injured in a serious accident
Wendy broke the news about the horror crash in a Facebook post on Tuesday night, saying it was miraculous he had survived.
‘If Sludge has not replied to your messages, it is because on Saturday 4th of March, he had a very serious motorcycle accident,’ she wrote.
‘He is extremely lucky to be alive.
‘He is still hospitalised but will recover, but it’s going to be a very slow long recovery and rehab.
‘Be assured I will be taking very good care of him when he is able to come home.
‘He has sustained head injuries amongst several broken bones, torn ligament and lots of bruising and abrasions.’
‘It has been a very stressful time, but I thought all of you would like to know where he has been and what has happened.’
The post was inundated with messages from hundreds of well-wishers.
‘Good luck, Sludge, on your journey to recovery. Hope all goes well, will be great to see you back up out and about, mate,’ one wrote.
Sludge’s fiancée Wendy (left) revealed he has a long road to recovery ahead of him
Born and raised in New Zealand, Sludge has been hauling freight across Oceania for more than three decades and owns Paul Andrews Transport.
He was featured on the popular reality TV series Outback Truckers.
Freighting fuel tanker road trains to mine sites across WA with his signature purple 2008 Peterbilt 379 Extended Hood truck called the Phantom, Mr Andrews became famous around the world for his loving personality and hardworking attitude.
Outback Truckers now screens in 15 countries worldwide, include the US, UK, New Zealand and many European nations.
He loves motorbikes as much as he does trucks.
‘Sludge has always loved the adrenaline rush he gets from anything with big horsepower,’ his website states.
‘He races his nitro Harley Davidson at the dirt drags and loves his Honda motorcycles.’
He proposed to his longtime partner Wendy in November.
‘Well finally got up the courage to ask the love of my life to marry me and she said yes looking forward to our new life,’ he said at the time.
Paul ‘Sludge’ Andrews is famous for his distinctive purple truck The Phantom
Paul ‘Sludge’ Andrews has worked in freight transport for more than three decades
In an interview with Daily Mail Australia last June, he warned the transport sector was being crippled by spiralling costs that could drive smaller operators out of the industry and leave supermarket shelves bare.
‘The cost of freighting stuff is going through the roof because the price of fuel is just going up and up every day,’ Sludge said.
‘And the thing is once fuel goes up all transport costs go up and now parts are much more expensive too.
‘This has to be added on somewhere. That money can’t just disappear. So prices at your local shops are going up and that’s probably going to keep happening and there’s nothing we can do about it.’
He revealed in another interview he learned to read and write 15 years ago.
‘My kids taught me how to read, but I’ve done alright. I love what I do and I get to travel the country,’ he told Big Rigs.
‘It’s been a great career for me. I think we need to show young people that you don’t have to go to the mines to make good money. Even if you’re not the smartest kid at school, you can still have a great career driving trucks.’
Sludge proposed to his longtime partner Wendy (pictured together) in November
