Biker critical after London Road accident

The 23-year-old from Leigh was flung into the road when his Yamaha was in collision with a blue Jaguar Sovereign in London Road near the Elms pub, at about 10.20am yesterday.

Witnesses said the car pulled out of Dawlish Drive when the bike collided with its rear driver’s side wheel.

Officers arriving in about seven police cars closed both lanes between Dawlish Drive and Elmsleigh Drive while a crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene, many reporting hearing the man’s screams as he lay in the road.

He was eventually airlifted to the Royal London Hospital by the Hertfordshire Air Ambulance, which landed in the middle of the road, about an hour later. He remains in a serious but not life-threatening condition.

Lesley Butcher, 48, lives on the corner of Dawlish Drive and London Road.

She said: “My daughter called me just after 10.30am to say he was there and the ambulance had already arrived by that point.

“I saw the air ambulance come down and it was a bit of a shock to see it suddenly appear so low – they’re skilful pilots to be able to come down that low between those houses and land in the middle of the road.

“I just hope the young man’s alright – he was on the floor for a long time and it was awful hearing him screaming and crying.”

An ambulance spokesman said: "We sent a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance and an ambulance officer as well as the Hertfordshire air ambulance.

"He has a very badly broken leg, a very serious head injury and a pelvic injury. His condition is critical.

"The patient was conscious and breathing and has been airlifted to hospital."

A police spokeswoman added: "Police were called at around 10.25am today to reports of a collision involving a motorbike and a car in London Road, Leigh, near to the Elms pub.

"Officers and the ambulance service attended and the motorcyclist was taken by air ambulance to the Royal London hospital with head injuries. He is believed to be in a critical condition."

The road remained closed until shortly before 1.50pm while officers took measurements and the vehicles were recovered.

Anyone who saw the collision or saw either of the vehicles prior to the accident is asked to call PC Paul Calpin on non-emergency number 101.

PASSERS BY rushed to the aid of the injured biker as he lay bleeding in the road.

On the Echo’s Facebook page, Jane Cotgrave, wrote: “I sat with him keeping his head still while waiting for ambulance. It was a serious leg injury but he it looks like he’s going to be ok thank goodness.

“I don't think what I did deserves praise, it was a natural instinct to help another human being in that moment.”

Philip Lemprier of the Z Collection shop in London Road said he called emergency services following the incident – and was impressed by the speed of their response.

He said: “I heard the impact of an accident but it wasn’t as loud as I would have imagined it to have been – as though two cars had just bumped into each other in the layby.

“I disregarded it at first but then looked out of the window and saw the motorcyclist in the middle of the road, and there was nobody around at that time, so I called the emergency services immediately.

“They arrived within about four minutes and by then there were about six people around him.”

A volunteer at the Cornerstone charity shop, who did not wish to be named, said: “There were two motorists trying to direct traffic before the police arrived but there were still people ignoring them and trying to drive down London Road – it’s amazing how stupid people can be.

“We could hear the young man calling for his girlfriend and they were trying to shout to her. It makes you think this sort of thing could happen to any of us.”

James Butcher, 25, lives on London Road and said he heard the impact – as well as the man’s screams.

He said: “I didn’t see the crash but I saw the carnage afterwards.

“I was in my flat just across the road and hard a bang and a scream.

“About an hour later I saw them putting him in the helicopter and could hear him from there.”