FD: Helmet saves boy from serious injury

MARICOPA, AZ - Authorities say a 10-year-old boy escaped serious injury when he fell off his bike to avoid hitting a van in Maricopa on Saturday.

Maricopa fire spokesman Brad Pitassi said the boy was wearing a helmet when he fell and was knocked unconscious for nearly a minute.

The child was awake, alert and talking when fire crews arrived, Pitassi said. Paramedics treated the boy on scene and took him to a Phoenix hospital by helicopter for further evaluation and observation.

Pitassi said the child avoided a serious head injury or even death by wearing a helmet as he rode his bike.

He said helmets, when worn correctly, greatly reduce the risk of serious injury if an accident occurs while riding a bike, skateboard, in-line skates or recreational motorized vehicle.

Pitassi says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that each year more than half a million bicyclists are treated in emergency rooms for injuries and about half of the injuries to children under the age of 10 occur to the head and face.