Australian Formula One driver Mark Webber was seriously injured on Saturday after he collided with a car while riding his bike, Australian police said.
Tasmania police said Webber was airlifted to hospital where he is being treated for a broken leg and other injuries. His condition is believed to be serious but not life-threatening.
Webber, 32, who drives for the Red Bull team, was cycling near Port Arthur in southern Tasmania when he collided with a vehicle, Tasmania Police Sergeant Jon Ford told said.
Webber was competing in his own charity event, the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge, a 250-kilometre (155-mile) challenge using mountain bikes, kayaks and trekking, when the accident happened around 12.40pm AEDT (0140 GMT) on Saturday, Ford said.
“It would appear he’s suffered a fractured leg but until doctors confirm the extent of Mark’s injuries, we won’t know for sure—it’s still early days,” Event director Geoff Donohue said.
“The surgery is complete, a pin inserted and the recovery begins,” Geoff Donohue, event director for the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge, said.
“The broken leg is the injury, and beyond that, he’s in really good shape. He has a little bit of a graze on his left forearm, but he has had full scans and everything else is clear.”
“He’ll be in hospital for at least three days, for sure under a week. I was speaking to him before the operation, and he was already thinking about his rehabilitation.”
“Mark’s in good spirits,” Donohue said earlier. “Paramedics attached to the event attended to Mark very swiftly and he’s had really good treatment at the scene before being transferred to hospital. It was a really unfortunate accident.”
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