Shattered violin that ‘saved cyclist’s life’ in catastrophic collision is miraculously repaired

24 January 2024, 09:05

Violinist Dan Hodd says music ‘saved his life’ after a collision that resulted in his leg being amputated, and his violin shattering into 100 pieces.

A 20th-century violin has been miraculously repaired, after shattering into 100 pieces in a collision in the Middle East.

Dan Hodd, a classically trained violinist, had been touring the world on his bike with a mission to travel sustainably to 100 countries in 10 years.

Six years in, while traversing the Middle East in December 2022, Hodd was hit by a bus in a collision that left him in hospital with multiple injuries for several weeks. Five months later, medical complications would also result in his leg being amputated below the knee.

Hodd’s violin, which had been strapped to his back whilst cycling, was also crushed in the impact – and may even have saved Hodd’s life, he says.

“Perhaps the saddest part of my story is the fact that my violin was hit by the bus too, and didn’t end up as healthy as I am now,” Hodd said, sharing his story on social media.

“The violin broke into [around] 100 pieces, but the fact I was carrying it on my back meant that *it* broke instead of my back, thus reducing the impact of the crash on my body.

“I don’t want to get too romantic about the matter, but music really has saved my life in so many ways over the years.”

Read more: Soloist barred from flight – after Ryanair claimed 18th-century violin ‘too big’ for the plane

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Now, over a year since the collision, Hodd has been reunited with his violin once more.

The luthier father of one of his friends, Malcolm Williamson, collected the splintered parts of the instrument and set about reassembling them “out of pure woodworking curiosity” according to Hodd.

“Astonishingly,” Hodd said, “All of the pieces were retained during the accident, and so even more astonishingly, this brilliant fellow succeeded in bringing the instrument back to life!”

12 months on from the accident, Hodd and his violin have returned to the open road, beginning with a short trip to France and Spain and with plans to continue on his adventurous project as soon as he’s well enough.

Safe travels, and we look forward to many more musical adventures from Dan, his bike, and his violin.