A YOUNG girl remains seriously ill in hospital a day after her bicycle collided with a car travelling along a busy Darlington road.

The 13-year-old cyclist, believed to be from Darlington, was placed into an induced coma by medics at the roadside after she sustained serious head injuries in the Yarm Road accident.

The Northern Echo:

Police block off the road while the girl is tended to

The horrific incident outside the May Flower Court Care Home saw the route closed shortly after 6.30pm on Wednesday evening, near the Hundens Lane junction.

Durham Police confirmed that an investigation had been launched to establish the cause of the collision between the bike and a black Toyota Avensis.

A 45-year-old man, also from Darlington, had been driving the Toyota at the time of the incident and escaped the collision uninjured.

The extent of the teenage girl’s head injuries are not known, however paramedics from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) were forced to place the youngster into a coma before she was airlifted to hospital.

Residents from Yarm Road and the surrounding areas looked on in horror, while medics ran through nearby streets to get to the scene after the helicopter landed in Eastbourne Park.

The 13-year-old’s condition has been described as stable as she continues to receive treatment in hospital.

A Durham Police spokesman added: “A teenager is seriously ill in hospital after the bicycle she was travelling on collided with a car in Darlington.

“The 13-year-old local girl collided with a black Toyota Avensis around 6.30pm (on Wednesday), outside the May Flower Court Care Home on Yarm Road.

The Northern Echo:

“The girl was airlifted to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough with serious head injuries.”

Police have issued an appeal for witnesses to the incident to come forward with information on the moments leading up to collision.

Anyone who saw the incident can contact Durham Police by calling non-emergency number 101, asking for the Collision Investigation Unit.