KEY POINTS:
A mother tried desperately to warn her daughter of the danger before a motorcycle hit the teenager in the head yesterday.
The daughter, believed to be 16, was hit with the full force of the bike during a motocross event in Auckland.
She was taken to Middlemore Hospital in a critical condition and later transferred to Auckland City Hospital, where she had surgery. Staff said her condition last night was stable.
The girl was competing in racing but was a spectator standing beside the track at Ardmore Motocross Park at the time of the accident.
Witnesses described an emotional scene, with a "traumatised" mother in tears and speechless beside her unconscious daughter after the accident about 12.45pm.
A young boy, aged about 9 and thought to be the girl's brother, was also sitting crying alongside them.
Witness Kirsten Sherriff told the Herald the girl's mother tried to protect her daughter before the impact.
"The guy on the bike, he landed on his back wheel which pretty much shot the bike out from under him and it just flew through the air and just hit her straight in the face," she said.
"She was standing with her mum when it happened. She [the mother] just grabbed her and started screaming. The mum saw it and she managed to move past and it just hit her [daughter] straight in the head."
The motorcyclist was also injured in the crash and was given a sling before being taken away for treatment.
Another witness, who asked not to be named, said the bike hit a small stack of tyres that act as a barrier at the edge of the track, which had projected it into the air.
She believed the framework underneath the bike had hit the girl's head.
"It's so sad. She was a pretty little thing as well. She was bleeding from the nose and mouth."
The woman said her son, also a rider, chose not to compete after the accident. "It's pretty emotional considering all these people are family. It's supposed to be a fun thing, but accidents happen, don't they?"
Event organiser John Cobb said the family had a longstanding involvement in motocross. The girl rode at each meeting with her father, who was also a rider.
"Everyone follows the rules. [The girl is] a really nice girl, she's a really cautious, safe rider."
Mr Cobb said the event followed Occupational Safety and Health requirements, with ambulance officers present.
The police serious crash unit is investigating.
