A motorcyclist was airlifted to hospital yesterday after being thrown from his bike on a busy north-east road.
The one-vehicle collision happened at around 10am on the A952 Toll of Birness to Mintlaw road near Hawkhillock.
The biker sustained serious injuries when he came off his Honda bike and landed in a nearby field. Emergency crews, including the air ambulance, sped to the scene.
A spokeswoman for the police said: “One vehicle was involved and the bike has gone into a field. Paramedics are at the scene.”
The motorcyclist’s injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.
But, after the rider was rushed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in the air ambulance, a recovery truck was deployed to remove the motorbike – a Honda Fireblade.
The sports bike was missing a chunk of body work and a section of the machine’s exhaust was dislodged.
The incident happened near the spot where a Robert Gordon University student was killed in a head-on collision with another car in 2014.
Mirela Slavova, known to her friends as Mira, was driving a white Vauxhall Corsa en route to a work placement with Shell at the St Fergus gas terminal when she was involved in a collision with a silver Volvo XC90 travelling in the opposite direction. She died at the scene.
The A952 – which stretches from the Toll of Birness junction to Cortes via the village of Maud – has been the subject of scrutiny in recent months over concerns it is too dangerous.
Politicians from across the political spectrum have called for safety improvements, including new signage, and Aberdeenshire Council is set to launch an investigation into the route.
Last night, local councillor Jim Ingram said: “I hope the lad makes a full recovery.
“It has been highlighted recently, just this week in fact. The A952 is regarded as one of the most dangerous roads in the country. It needs upgrades.
“There are twists, bends and hidden dips. I would like to see a third lane added in on some stretches to make overtaking safer.”
