News

Struck North West 200 spectator making good recovery

Violet McAfee
Violet McAfee Violet McAfee

A woman who suffered serious head injuries when she was hit by a motorbike while watching the North West 200 says she is making a remarkable recovery.

Violet McAfee was in the garden of a friend's house when three bikes crashed during the Superstock race. Ms McAfee had been watching warm-up laps when the crash happened.

The mother-of-one was airlifted to Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital in a critical condition with serious head and leg injuries. She was later taken out of intensive care and moved to a general ward.

Three riders - Dean Harrison, Horst Saiger and Stephen Thompson - were involved in the crash.

Ms McAfee said she could remember nothing about the accident, which she described as "just one of those freak things".

"Even being shown the photographs of where the bike had landed and where another bike had landed out on the road, I don't remember one thing about it.

"I don't remember being picked up in the helicopter to come to the RVH or anything. There's nothing I remember which isn't a bad thing."

She was brought to hospital in a critical condition.

"I did not remember anything until the second day after the accident," Ms McAfee told BBC Radio Ulster.

"I didn't know what had actually happened to me at that point, how serious the leg was or that I had a hairline fracture on my head until my family told me.

When I saw pictures of the scene I honestly couldn't believe it myself, I thought that can't have been me there because I just didn't remember a thing about it. It was awful to even feel that way. It was just such a freak thing to have happened."

Ms McAfee said he recovery had been "remarkable".

"I'm going to get my rehab done, I'm going to get up, I'm going to get walking and I'll be there next year again probably. I would say I probably will be with the rest of my family as well."