Groom breaks leg minutes after getting wedding day 'break a leg' text

A groom broke his leg in a motorbike crash on his way to the church minutes after a guest sent him a good luck text telling him to 'break a leg.' Nick Fortey, 42, was on his way to marry Emma Byrne, 28, when a car slammed into the Harley Davidson he had hired for the wedding day - breaking his leg in three places.

Mr Fotey had arranged to go and pick up the classic bike on the morning of his wedding - so he could ride it straight to St Luke's Church, Northampton. But minutes before he set off his cousin Wendy sent him a text message reading: "Just wanted to say enjoy your day and break a leg." Less than an hour later disaster struck when a car crashed into Mr Fotey's bike - crushing his leg and his dreams of a perfect wedding day.



Mr Fortey, a self-employed HGV driver, was rushed to hospital where doctors performed emergency surgery on his leg - leaving one of his ushers to phone Emma and tell her the bad news. But amazingly, despite knowing he would not be able to make it down the aisle, Mr Fortey told Miss Byrne to go ahead with the celebrations - and hold the couple's wedding reception without him.

Which she did - cutting the cake on her own, having a first dance on her own and even delivering a thank you speech solo. Mr Fortey, who has been with Miss Byrne for three years, said: "I really wanted to ride a Harley to my wedding. I never imagined in a million years that I'd end up coming off it - especially after being told to break a leg."