A crash in a North East town left a 79-year-old woman in hospital with serious injuries as police have launched an investigation.

The incident happened soon before 4.30pm on Thursday, December 22 on Springwell Road in Sunderland.

Police received reports of a serious crash between a pedestrian and a motorbike

It is alleged that a white Lexmoto motorbike had been travelling north on the road near to the junction with Sunningdale Road.

The bike, for reasons not yet established, crashed into an elderly female pedestrian.

Emergency services were on the scene where the elderly woman, aged 78, was taken to hospital with serious, potentially life-changing, injuries.

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She remains in hospital in a stable condition and the rider remained at the scene and is assisting officers with their enquiries.

An investigation has been launched and officers are now appealing to the public for witnesses to the incident.

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Police are now urgently appealing to anyone who witnessed what happened or who may have relevant dash cam or CCTV footage to contact them immediately.

A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: “In addition, if anyone saw a white Lexmoto motorbike in the area prior to the collision occurring, please get in touch.

“Witnesses or anyone with information that could help should contact Northumbria Police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page on our website or by calling the non-emergency 101 line and quoting NP-20221222-0766.”