GENEVA (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry broke his leg in bike 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, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said. He said X-rays 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 was taken by helicopter to Geneva’s main medical center, HUG, after apparently hitting a curb with his bike near Scionzier, France, about 40 kilometers 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.
Kerry’s cycling rides have become a regular occurrence on his trips. He often takes his bike with him on the plane and was riding that bicycle Sunday.
During discussions in late March and early April between world powers and Iran, he took several bike trips during breaks. Those talks were in Lausanne, Switzerland, and led to a framework agreement.
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.
Kerry regrets not being able to make the rest of his scheduled stops, Kirby said. The top U.S. diplomat had planned to travel later Sunday to Madrid for meetings with Spain’s king and prime minister, before spending two days in Paris for an international gathering to combat IS.
He will participate in the Paris conference remotely, Kirby said.
Kerry’s decision to seek treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital was made because the fracture is near the site of his prior hip surgery, Kirby said.
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Umm, break a leg? Sorry…
Not really funny.
To fracture a femur near the site of a hip replacement appliance is serious business. It’s not a “normal” leg fracture. Then again fracturing a major bone is serious anyway.
Recover quickly Mr Kerry, we need ya.
I fractured a femur when I was a kid so I can empathize. It hurts. Get well soon John Kerry - best wishes for a speedy recovery.
has anyone verified Hillary’s whereabouts immediately before the accident?
this reporting smacks of a failed Vince Foster redux.
there must be emails.
Hey,
One week shy of 3 months after having a Total Hip Replacement(prescribed), I thought riding my bike would be safe, and it might have been, had I not had issues getting on the bike, with the limited leg mobility. Going 0.1 mph, I dumped the bike, on the grass beside the driveway, on my THR side.
The pain at the moment wasn’t excruciating, probably due to some shock, and I joked with the paramedic about whether he couldn’t just pop the hip back into the socket, not knowing I had suffered a 5 inch spiral fracture. It was good to have the same doctor around to do the repair, making my five inch scar a 13 inch scar, after applying four metal bands to the top of the femur, which look like zip-ties in the x-rays.
Other than the protracted recovery, and the associated hassles, the pain was still minimal compared to the arthritis that precipitated the THR. Knowing when to get off Oxycodone and back onto NSAIDs is pretty important for one’s pain management, and intestinal health.
I am impressed if Kerry had to endure a trans-Atlantic flight to return to his doc. Hopefully, his experience is non-traumatic and he gets back on the horse, only when cleared to do so.
Steve Keller