A motorcyclist is critically ill in hospital after crashing with a car before he collided with a nearby tree.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said officers were contacted by the ambulance service and informed of a collision between a motorcycle and car on Kingsway North at Team Valley in Gateshead shortly before 3pm on Tuesday (August 23).

It was understood that a red Kia Ceed had been travelling northbound on the road when, for reasons yet to be established, it collided with a purple Yamaha motorcycle, which then collided with a nearby tree.

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When emergency services attended, they found a 25-year-old male rider with serious injuries.

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He was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition. The driver of the Kia remained at the scene and is assisting officers with their inquiries.

An investigation was immediately launched after the incident to establish the circumstances around the collision, which happened near to the junction with Fifth Avenue. 

Officers are today (August 24) appealing for anybody who was in the area at the time to come forward with information which could further assist their investigation.

Sergeant Craig Bartle, of Northumbria Police, said: “A full and thorough investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding this collision, which resulted in a man being taken to hospital with serious injuries.

“The collision happened in a busy area in the afternoon – and we are now asking anybody who witnessed the collision to get in touch. Your information, no matter how insignificant you feel it may be, could be crucial to our inquiries.

“We also want to hear from anybody who believes they saw a red Kia Ceed or a purple Yamaha motorcycle in the area at the time, as well as anyone who has any CCTV or dashcam footage that could assist the ongoing investigation.”

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We received a call at 2.59pm yesterday afternoon to reports of a road traffic incident on Kingsway North in the Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead.

"We dispatched one ambulance crew, and took one patient to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) for further treatment." 

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the Northumbria Police website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20220823-0645.

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