An 11-year-old Co Waterford girl, who suffered serious injuries when she was hit by an unnamed rider in the Tour de France last Monday as it passed through the village of Grange, was in a critical condition at the Cork University Hospital yesterday.
It is still unclear how the accident occurred. The rider involved in the incident was supplied with a new bicycle immediately and left the scene, to rejoin the race, apparently unaware that the little girl had been seriously injured. Laura Seward, a native of Ardmore, Co Waterford, had to be taken by ambulance to the outskirts of Cork following the accident. She was understood to be suffering from a fractured skull and other serious injuries to her upper body. She was unconscious and bleeding heavily when the ambulance arrived at the scene.
On the outskirts of Cork, she was taken by helicopter to the Cork University Hospital, where, initially, her condition was described as serious. Yesterday, however, the hospital authorities said the girl was in a critical condition.
While it is not clear how the accident occurred, some spectators have said that the cyclist veered towards the crowd and that the girl had not moved onto the path of the Tour de France. It is understood that at some future date, the cyclist will be interviewed by gardai.
Another casualty of the race as it approached Cork was Chris Boardman, the British rider who was wearing the yellow jersey.
Boardman crashed into a wall near the seaside town of Youghal and immediately fell unconscious. The champion cyclist was also admitted to the Cork University Hospital. A spokesman there said that his injuries were not life-threatening. As well as a fractured hand, he suffered cuts and bruises. During a press conference yesterday he said his main concern was for the Waterford girl who had sustained far more serious injuries.
"I'm a father myself and I know the pain and suffering the Seward family must be going through." He added that it would be inappropriate for him to dwell on his misfortune while a young girl was in hospital fighting for her life.
Mr Boardman said he had not visited Laura in the intensive care unit of the hospital because that would have been inappropriate and he did not want to disturb the family at a very sensitive time.
There was some anger in the Grange area in Co Waterford yesterday over the fact that the cyclist immediately had his bicycle replaced and that he rejoined the tour. But Garda sources said that in such a frenetic event in which the participants were vying for position, accidents were always possible and the probability was that the cyclist did not know the extent of the child's injuries.