Tyler Hughes winces as he undergoes physical therapy with the help of Maureen Krumins, physical therapy assistant, right, and his mother, Jenny Hughes, while at Stormont-Vail Healthcare in Topeka on May 2. Tyler was in an ATV accident while riding with friends at his grandparents' house in Topeka, which resulted in major injuries. Had he not been wearing the proper safety gear his injures would have been life-threatening.

Topeka ? Fifteen-year-old Tyler Hughes used to get made fun of for taking so long to get ready to ride his ATV.

The Shawnee Heights freshman wasn’t allowed to get on his four-wheeler, or quad, without all his safety gear – helmet, chest protector, gloves and so on.

And his friends impatiently waited a few extra minutes for Hughes before each ride, occasionally poking fun of the gear.

“They’re not making fun of him anymore,” said Jenny Hughes, Tyler’s mom, who received one of the worst phone calls of her life on April 30.

She was told that while trying a double ramp jump on a self-made ATV course near his grandmother’s house on the southeastern outskirts of the city, Tyler Hughes flipped his four-wheeler. The vehicle landed on top of the teenager, and he sustained serious injuries.

Brian Limke, Tyler’s friend who witnessed the wreck and called for help, said the crash happened in less than a few seconds.

“I was turned the other way, but I heard his quad going so I turned to watch the jump,” he said. “He went straight vertical, facing head first to the ground and landed like that. I ran over and asked Tyler if he was bleeding, but he just said he thought his leg was broken.”

Tyler Hughes’ leg broke in a few places, and he had other minor to severe cuts and bruises. Bolts were put into his knee, and a metal plate with 10 screws was inserted into his femur.

But what doctors at Stormont Vail Regional Health Center said is it could have been much worse.

“He has a big gouge in his back from the chest protector,” Jenny Hughes said. “They said if he hadn’t been wearing it, his back could have shattered.”

The chest protector Tyler Hughes was wearing the day of the accident was destroyed on impact. His helmet shattered, his gloves were ripped off and a large rock was embedded in his goggles, all indications of how bad the accident could have been.

“They said I could have been paralyzed or could have even died,” Tyler Hughes said. “It hurt pretty bad, not right away, but after the surgery. I was just thankful I was wearing all my gear.”

Stormont Vail is hoping others also can learn the importance of safety gear from Tyler Hughes’ accident. The destroyed chest protector, helmet, goggles and pictures from the wreck will be used as part of the hospital’s safety training classes in the future.

Tyler Hughes’ future includes at least two months of being dependent on crutches and at least six months of physical therapy.

It won’t take nearly that long, Tyler Hughes said, for him to return to the ATV course.

He has about two weeks of repair work to do on his quad and then he hopes to be riding again shortly after that.

“I’m not scared or anything. I’ve been in wrecks before,” he said. “I’ve been around ATVs and racing enough to know how to handle them.”

Limke, 15, said he knows his friend will make a swift recovery.

“The whole time through the whole accident, Tyler was fine,” he said.

“He didn’t cry. He didn’t scream. He told me as calm as can be that his leg was broken, so I know he will be OK.”