Camden South: 11-year-old boy airlifted to Westmead in critical condition after crashing motorbike

An 11-year-old boy is in critical condition after colliding with a tree while riding an off-road motorbike in Sydney’s southwest. Horrified neighbours witnessed the incident unfold and rushed to assist.

An 11-year-old boy is in critical condition after colliding with a tree while riding an off-road motorbike in Sydney’s southwest.

Police, paramedics and the Toll Ambulance helicopter responded to reports a motorcycle had crashed into trees at Hayter Reserve in Camden South.

The child had been seriously injured and after being treated by paramedics at the scene was flown to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead where he is in a critical condition.

Police seized the bike, understood to be a small motorised bike used for off-road driving, for it to be mechanically examined.

Hayter Reserve in Camden South where an 11-year-old boy was critically injured when he crashed his dirtbike into a tree.

The 11-year-old was wearing a helmet while riding the bike.

Kathy Fraser and her partner were first on the scene, having witnessed the moment the boy collided with the tree from their backyard.

“We saw him riding around and then we heard the bang, we stood up and my partner asked ‘is he moving?’ and I said ‘no’,” Ms Fraser recounted.

The Frasers and another set of neighbours raced down to assist the boy, who appeared to have hit the tree headfirst.

“He was unresponsive, in and out of consciousness,” Ms Fraser said.

“There was a lot of bleeding.”

The Frasers saw the crash from their home, seen here through the trees, and raced down to help.

The reserve is a popular spot for kids riding motorbikes, despite council restrictions.

The couple called for an ambulance while an operator stayed on the line, helping Ms Fraser monitor the 11-year-old’s breathing until paramedics arrived.

The incident has left the couple shaken and desperate to see the little boy pull through.

“It was horrific,” Ms Fraser said.

“I never want to see anything like that again.”

Another family whose property backs onto the reserve said they heard children screaming, but assuming they were the screams of kids playing which is common in the small park.

“It’s usually a very quiet neighbourhood,” one man said.

Kids regularly ride dirtbikes and play ball games in the reserve, he said, despite signage at the park banning motorcycles and other vehicles.

Originally published as Camden South: 11-year-old boy airlifted to Westmead in critical condition after crashing motorbike