U.S. Secretary of State Kerry breaks femur in bicycle accident in France

USPA News - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was airlifted Sunday to a hospital in Switzerland after breaking his right femur in a bicycle accident in eastern France, forcing him to cancel a series of appointments to seek further treatment in the United States. The accident happened at about 9:40 a.m. local time when Kerry was bicycling near Scionzier, a commune in France near the borders with Italy and Switzerland.

Paramedics and a physician who were with the Secretary`s motorcade assisted Kerry before he was airlifted to Hospital University Geneva. "Secretary Kerry broke his right femur in a bicycling accident this morning," said State Department spokesman John Kirby. "Given the injury is near the site of his prior hip surgery, he will return to Boston today to seek treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital with his doctor who did the prior surgery. The Secretary is stable and never lost consciousness, his injury is not life-threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery." Kirby added: "Secretary Kerry is in good spirits and is grateful to the French and Swiss authorities, doctors, and nurses who assisted him after the accident." The accident forced Kerry to cancel scheduled meetings in Spain and will also prevent him from attending a ministerial meeting on the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Paris on Tuesday, though the Secretary now plans to participate remotely.