Man, 55, in critical condition after coming off e-scooter
21 June 2021, 15:31
A man is in critical condition in hospital with a serious head injury after falling of a hired e-scooter.
The 55-year-old was travelling through Newcastle city centre with a group of around 12 people when the incident occurred.
He was on Redheugh Bridge Road - near the city's arena - when, for reasons still unknown, he came off the hired e-scooter.
Northumbria police received a report of the accident at around 8:50pm on Saturday and went to the scene along with emergency services.
The man was taken to hospital, remaining in a critical but stable condition on Monday morning, police said.
This comes after Newcastle introduced a 12-month trial scheme for e-scooters in February.
Different boroughs across London introduced a similar e-scooter hiring scheme from the beginning of June.
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Sergeant Matt Sykes said: "This was a very serious incident which has left a 55-year-old man with potentially life-threatening injuries.
"An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision is ongoing and we are keen to hear from anyone who can help us build up a clear picture of the moments which led up to this incident.
"Our enquiries are still at a very early stage but we believe that a male connected to a Land Rover or Range Rover flagged down someone in the party to tell them that the man had come off his e-scooter.
"We would urge that key witness to get in touch with us as they could provide vital information to help us to establish exactly what has happened."
Investigators have asked anyone who saw the group riding together earlier, or anyone with dash cam footage, to call 101.
