The Czech President Petr Pavel has been taken to hospital following a crash while riding a BMW motorcycle that took place on a racing track in Prague.
Initial reports suggest that the president was ‘racing’ on the track, although it’s not clear if this is the case, or if he was simply taking part in a track day. It is confirmed that, at the time of the crash, he was riding a BMW R1200 GS, so the latter could be more feasible.
Pavel is a staunch supporter of motorcyclists and is well known for his love of everything two-wheels related. It isn’t the first time that a bike has landed him in hot water though, and shortly after being inaugurated as president, last August, he was forced to publicly apologise after being spotted riding a bike without wearing a motorcycle helmet.
A BMW R1200 GS like the one Pavel is reported to have been riding
At the time of that gaff he explained the incident by saying “In this case, I went to the gas station to fill up the tyres. It was a 1.5-kilometre-long journey along a rarely used road, and I had to connect to the main road for a few tens of meters. It was stupid. I realise that the president should lead by example in following the rules.”
Regarding the crash that took place on the track, Pavel’s office has confirmed that his injuries are not life-threatening and that he was flown to a military hospital for observations prior to being discharged. Speaking on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, his office posted “The president was injured while riding his motorcycle … The injuries are not serious but will require a short observation in the hospital.”
Lead image - Petr Pavel / Facebook
