A 74-year-old man has been rushed to hospital with critical spinal and pelvic injuries following a collision between his motorcycle and a four-wheel-drive vehicle in Wollongong.
The incident occurred on Crown Street, near Tony's Chicken Shop, around 1pm on Wednesday, May 6. Emergency services quickly arrived at the scene, closing Crown Street in both directions between Mangerton Road and Rosemont Street as paramedics treated the injured rider.
Witness describes dramatic scene
Bystander Sabna Rajeevkrishnan, who was sitting at an outdoor table at Cafe Hashtag on Crown Street during a work meeting, described the shocking moment the crash unfolded in front of her.
“He was just in the air over the car and fell onto the road,” Ms Rajeevkrishnan said. “You only see these things in the movies.”
She noted that numerous people rushed to assist the injured rider while others called triple zero. “Almost immediately a police car came,” she added. “He [the rider] was talking, but he didn’t move much.”
Emergency response and hospitalisation
Paramedics fitted a neck brace to the man before carefully moving him onto a stretcher and into a waiting ambulance. He was then transported to St George Hospital for treatment of serious spinal and pelvic injuries.
The driver of the four-wheel-drive, a 54-year-old male, underwent a roadside breath test, which returned a negative result, according to a NSW Police spokeswoman.
Related incident
The crash occurred just 270 metres from the location where a 93-year-old man was killed while crossing the road outside Wollongong Private Hospital on April 24.
Police are investigating the circumstances of the crash and have urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Nadine Morton is a senior journalist covering crime, emergency services and police matters. Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
