A JOYRIDE ended in disaster for Empangeni teenager Herman Lloyd after losing control of the motorcycle he was riding.
Lloyd was travelling along Louis Botha Avenue in the direction of Standish Lester Road when the catastrophe struck.
He had been at a friend’s house, a few hundred metres from the scene of the accident, and had borrowed the motorbike to take it for a test drive yesterday (Monday).
‘I watched him drive off,’ the friend said, ‘Next thing I heard him scream and the motorcycle did not sound right, I don’t know if the clutch snapped or the brakes failed but he was unable to make the corner.’
The motorbike hit the pavement and became airborne throwing Lloyd over the handlebars onto the grass where he remained motionless.
‘I ran up to him and threw the bike off. He was breathing and was conscious,’ said his friend.
‘I took off his helmet and phoned an ambulance. At this point Lloyd was able to talk but not move – he said he could not feel his legs.’
Emergency personnel, police officers and traffic officers were on the scene within minutes and a brace was placed around Lloyd’s neck.
He was stabilised before been moved onto a stretcher then into an awaiting ambulance.
‘The exact cause of the accident is unknown but the main priority is to stabilise the victim,’ a police officer stated.
Lloyd was taken to Ngwelezana Hospital where he was treated for his injuries.
