Durban - A 14-year-old teenage girl is in a critical condition following a bike accident on Thursday afternoon.
According to Netcare 911, she had been riding at Hobby Park in Paardeplaats, Krugersdorp, when she hit a rock and fell off her mountain bike.
The incident took place just before 6pm.
Spokesperson Shawn Herbst said they responded to a fall on an off-road mountain bike trail.
“Reports indicate that a female had come off her bike, sustaining suspected spinal and head injuries.
“On arrival of paramedics, they found that the handle bar of the bike had impaled the young girl in the right thigh, leaving her in a serious condition.
“The young lady was treated on scene by Netcare 911 Emergency Care Practitioners while bystanders dismantled the bike.”
Herbst said due to the time-sensitive nature of her injuries, a Netcare 911 helicopter ambulance was activated to airlift the patient through to a specialised trauma facility.
In another incident more than a week ago, a Durban cyclist was killed in an alleged hit-and-run on the M4 highway.
Veven Naidoo, 47, had been riding when he was struck by a light motor vehicle that fled the scene.
Naidoo died in hospital two days after the accident.
One person has been arrested and charged with culpable homicide.
Naidoo had been a member of the East Coast Cycling Club for many years.
IOL