16Vicious cycle
Kerry snaps leg in bike crash, nixes ISIS confab
GENEVA — Secretary of State Kerry broke his leg in a bicycle crash Sunday, apparently after hitting a curb, and scrapped the rest of a four-nation trip that included an international conference on combating the Islamic State group.
Kerry was in stable condition and in good spirits as he prepared to return to Boston for further treatment with the doctor who previously operated on his hip, State Department spokesman John Kirby said. He said Xrays at a Swiss hospital confirmed that Kerry fractured his right femur.
“The secretary is stable and never lost consciousness, his injury is not life-threatening and he is expected to make a full recovery,” Kirby said in a statement.
Kerry, 71, was taken by helicopter to Geneva’s main medical center, HUG, after apparently hitting a curb with his bike near Scionzier, France, about 25 miles southeast of the Swiss border.
Paramedics and a physician were on the scene with his motorcade at the time and provided him immediate attention. They quickly decided to order the 10-minute-long helicopter transport.
The Dauphine Libere, a local
AFP/GETTY newspaper, said Kerry fell near the beginning of his ride to the mountain pass called the Col de la Colombiere, which has been a route for the Tour de France more than a dozen times.
Right around the time of his fall, a Twitter feed about local driving conditions warned of the danger due to gravel along the pass.
Kerry had been in Geneva for six hours of meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday as the sides now work to seal a comprehensive accord by June 30.
The prospect of a lengthy rehabilitation could hamper the nuclear talks and other diplomatic endeavors. Even if Kerry does not need surgery, it was not immediately known when he could fly again after returning to the United States.
He will participate in the Paris conference remotely, Kirby said.
Kerry decided to seek treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital because the fracture is near the site of his earlier hip surgery, Kirby said.
The secretary is stable ... he is expected to make a full recovery. STATEMENT FROM STATE DEPARTMENT