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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry broke his leg in bike
crash Sunday, apparently after hitting a curb, and scrapped the rest of a
four-nation trip that included an international conference on combating the
Islamic State group.
Kerry was in stable
condition and in good spirits as he prepared to return to Boston for further
treatment with the doctor who previously operated on his hip, U.S. State
Department spokesman John Kirby said. He said X-rays at a Swiss hospital
confirmed that Kerry fractured his right femur.
AP report continues:
"The secretary is
stable and never lost consciousness, his injury is not life-threatening and he
is expected to make a full recovery," Kirby said in a statement.
Kerry was taken by
helicopter to Geneva's main medical center, HUG, after apparently hitting a
curb with his bike near Scionzier, France, about 40 kilometers southeast of the
Swiss border.
Paramedics and a
physician were on the scene with his motorcade at the time and provided him
immediate attention. They quickly decided to order the 10-minute-long
helicopter transport.
Kerry's cycling rides
have become a regular occurrence on his trips. He often takes his bike with him
on the plane and was riding that bicycle Sunday.
During discussions in
late March and early April between world powers and Iran, he took several bike
trips during breaks. Those talks were in Lausanne, Switzerland, and led to a
framework agreement.
Kerry had been in Geneva
for six hours of meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on
Saturday as the sides now work to seal a comprehensive accord by June 30.
Kerry regrets not being
able to make the rest of his scheduled stops, Kirby said. The top U.S. diplomat
had planned to travel later Sunday to Madrid for meetings with Spain's king and
prime minister, before spending two days in Paris for an international
gathering to combat IS.
He will participate in
the Paris conference remotely, Kirby said.
Kerry's decision to seek
treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital was made because the fracture is
near the site of his prior hip surgery, Kirby said.
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