Motorcycle mayhem after Surfers Paradise stunt goes wrong

MULTIPLE people were injured after a motorcycle stunt show in the heart of Surfers Paradise went wrong, when a bike and its rider lost control and careened toward spectators.

At 5:20pm on Thursday, a bike was coming down a stunt ramp in front of Mcdonald’s on Cavill Ave when it lost control and hit a safety barrier, taking out the crowd behind it, an ambulance spokesperson said.

Three people were hit in the impact.

The motocross stunt show was part of a pre-launch party for the Gold Coast 500, which officially started on Friday.

The rider was transported to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition, as well as a bystander.

Both patients were treated for soft tissue injuries.

Two other patients were assessed but declined transport.

Crowds remained on The Esplanade in the aftermath of the crash on Thursday evening, with several people reporting hearing sirens and other signs of chaos as emergency services rushed to the scene.

One visitor said it was seeing footage of the shocking incident that brought him to the GC500.

“We didn’t get here until after it happened, but we’ve definitely heard about it,” he said.

“We saw (the video) on the news and thought, ‘What’s going on there?’.”

A fellow freestyle motocross team, one not involved in the incident, posted a statement to social media in the wake of the crash.

“Thank you to all the wonderful people in our lives that have contacted us with thoughts and concerns regarding the terrible incident that occurred in Surfers Paradise this afternoon as part of the GC500,” the post read.

“The freestyle motocross team involved is a separate entity and not connected with Airtime FMX, however, our thoughts are with the riders, their team and the injured spectators.

“We never like to hear about accidents or injuries in any professional sport yet it is a timely reminder that we risk life and limb for the sport we love every time we perform.”

Supercars released a brief statement on the incident on Thursday.

A more detailed statement was requested around how Supercars would approach spectator safety throughout the remainder of the event but a response was not provided before deadline.