Four people were seriously injured in scrambler bike crashes in the first 10 months of last year, it has emerged as two north Belfast teenagers vow never to ride an off-road motorbike again.
The PSNI reported no scrambler fatalities among the 11 who died in motorcycle crashes up to the end of October. Two others died in motorcycle crashes in the final two months of the year, including 18-year-old Caolan McCormick following a collision on the Antrim Road just before Christmas.
Ordhan McGarry (16) and Conal Marley (15), seriously injured following a collision on the Cliftonville Road last Wednesday evening, have vowed never to ride on another scrambler bike again, said Eamonn Magill, secretary of the Sacred Heart Boxing Academy.
The two champion boxers underwent surgery following the crash but remain in recovery in the Royal Victoria Hospital.
According to the PSNI, there were 88 people seriously injured in motorcycle crashes over the 10 months to the end of October, with four recorded as using a scrambler-type vehicle at the time,
The most recent death linked to scrambler bikes was in June 2022 when a nine-year-old Ballymena boy Charlie Joyce was fatally injured when his machines collided with another. A 13-year-old was critically injured in the accident.
Mr Magill, who described scrambler bikes as “death machines” and the two boys “lucky to be alive”, said they have gone through surgery. They are “coming on well considering”, he added.
“After speaking to the lads they both said they’ll never get on a bike again. But after a few facetimes with them they are smiling and that to me is priceless,” Mr Magill said.
He believes the crash has opened up the eyes of the young lads in the Bone area of Oldpark and “hopefully seeing and hearing this will spread to other areas”.
“The club is being as supportive as we can and been in constant contact with both set of parents. Once they are up and about about we want them to continue to come to the boxing club so that they are around the Sacred Heart family.
“I think it’s very important mentally to be around your friends.”