Violet now stable after bike hurtles into her at NW200

Violet McAfee (44) suffered a compound leg break and a hairline fracture to her skull when the bike hurtled into her as she stood with nine other people in the driveway of a house between York Corner and the Mill Road roundabout during the second lap of the opening Superstock race.

Racer Stephen Thompson from Crumlin who was also involved in the incident is now in a stable condition.

His injuries are described as serious but not life threatening.

One eyewitness said: “The motorbike knocked down a lamp-post and then came into the garden and hit a parked car and rebounded off it and hit the woman. The house where it happened is used as a holiday home and she is from Portrush.

“Everybody is so upset and we are all praying she pulls through. The family is at the hospital and it is a waiting game. It was like a war zone here on Saturday.”

Violet’s nephew, Curtis Lynn, tweeted on Sunday: “God has really answered prayer, it’s a miracle she is still here.”

Violet’s family have kept a bedside vigil since the race horror unfolded following a three-bike collision at Station Road.

Another eyewitness who watched the shocking events unfold, told the Times: “The first bike came off at the bottom of the road and I looked round and saw the second bike coming through the air and it just exploded into bits as it hit the car in the drive.

“I looked down and saw Violet on the ground - it happened about a metre away from me. I really thought she was gone.

“I can’t believe that nobody else was hurt as there was ten of us in the driveway when it happened.”

“I have to say that the medical teams were fantastic, they were on the scene so quickly and did a brilliant job.”