A WOMAN riding on the back of a motorbike suffered serious facial injuries after being flung off onto a busy main road.

The incident happened at the junction of Sutton Road and Swanage Road, in Southend, at about 11am yesterday.

The woman, in her 40s, was travelling on the back of a Triumph Daytona heading south towards Queensway.

Paramedics spent about an hour treating her at the scene, before carefully loading her onto a stretcher.

She also suffered arm and leg injuries.

Witnesses said bike swerved to avoid hitting another car.

Ray Evans, 55, a shop assistant at the nearby Kenbro carpet centre, said onlookers initially feared the crash was fatal.

He said: “A paramedic came along at first and then there was an ambulance.

“The police sectioned it off. There was another vehicle, but whether that was involved or hit them from behind afterwards I don’t know.

“It was left there afterwards.

“I was told the motorcyclist didn’t actually realise he had lost the passenger for about a minute.

“Accidents are normally at the top of the road by the crossing, I’ve never known there to be any at that junction.”

Police kept the area cordoned off until about 2.30pm while the bike and a Volkswagen Passat were towed away.

Another witness, who asked not to be named, said he also feared the worst because of the length of time it took paramedics to get her in an ambulance.

He said: “I could see something pretty serious was going on. I didn’t see her come off but what the police were saying is she was a pillion passenger.

“Another car caused the bike to swerve, causing her to fall off.”

An Essex Police spokesman said witnesses are being asked to come forward.

He said: “Police were contacted by the ambulance service at 11am with reports of a collision in Sutton Road, Southend.

“A Volkswagen Passat and a Triumph Daytona were involved in this incident.

“The motorcycle pillion passenger, a woman aged in her 40s, was taken to hospital with serious facial injuries, which were not life threatening.

“The road was closed until shortly before 2.30pm while the scene was cleared.

“Enquiries are ongoing.”

Anyone with information can contact PC Mark Weeble by calling 101.

The woman is the second biker to be injured in Sutton Road in recent months, following a crash at the junction of Southchurch Road and Queensway on Thursday, April 28.

There have been at least five serious accidents involving motorbikes in Southend this month.