A 24-year-old motorcyclist suffered horrific injuries when he broke both arms and legs and damaged his spine in a freak crash.
Several shocked pedestrians jumped for cover when the biker came off his black Honda outside The Kolossi Grill, a Greek restaurant in Rosebery Avenue, Finsbury, at the junction with Yardley Street, just before 7.15am on Monday.
He suffered numerous breaks to all four limbs including an open fracture of the femur, as well as a broken pelvis and damage to his spinal cord.
A 35-year-old pedestrian was treated at the scene for shock and minor injuries.
No other vehicles were involved and police are still not clear what happened.
A metal parking sign and a tree outside the restaurant were damaged in the crash but there were no skid marks on the road.
Harry Nicola, owner of The Kolossi Grill, said: "There was blood everywhere - it's terrible. The council spent five or six hours just cleaning up the pavement and the road. He hit the pole or the tree, or maybe both. The pole has moved and from there I think he's gone into the tree. One of the motorbike tyres hit the restaurant wall."
Suna Miah, owner of Sadlers News, in Rosebery Avenue, said: "I heard a bang. I was serving people but when I looked out he was lying down - he wasn't moving. There was a commotion."
A worker at Gordon's Shoe Repairs, in nearby Exmouth Market, added: "One man came in who saw it happen and rang the police. He was very shaken up. He said the guy had a heart attack. It can still happen when you're 24."
The critically-ill motorcyclist was taken to Royal London Hospital, in Whitechapel, where he was operated on throughout Monday afternoon and evening. He was in a stable condition as trhe Gazette went to press.
David Broomfield, 45, director of Adelphi Graphics Limited, in Rosebery Avenue, said: "The police were here quickly. It looked like they were doing mouth to mouth. There were two ambulances there for three hours. I think they were operating on him in the back of one of them. The bone was sticking out of his leg. The bike looked like it was a write-off."
Police have interviewed eyewitnesses but the incident was not captured on CCTV. The motorcyclist has not been named by police.
A spokeswoman for Islington police said: "Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and discovered a man in his 20s, and believed to be the rider of a motorcycle involved in the collision, suffering injuries.
"At this early stage it is believed the motorcycle was in collision with pedestrians in Rosebery Avenue. There are no reports of any other serious injuries."
via Islington Gazette
