LEWISTON – A 12-year-old boy was seriously injured Thursday night after he fell from his bike and struck his head on pavement in Kennedy Park.

Police said the boy was pedaling the bike down a small hill with a friend on the back when he lost control and was thrown over the handlebars.

The boy landed headfirst on one of the walkways slicing through the park, just behind the basketball courts. The boy on the back of the bike was not injured, police said.

When a police officer got to the scene, the boy was on the ground, unresponsive, with a golf ball-sized bump on his head. He was bleeding from the head wound.

Several police officers and rescue paramedics drove into the park to assist the boy as a crowd of more than a 60 people gathered.

The boy was taken to Central Maine Medical Center where he remained Thursday night. Police believed the boy was being admitted to the hospital in critical condition. His name was not available.

Police encountered problems identifying the victim and learning more about him because his mother is Somali and doesn’t speak English. Police were working with a translator as they continued to investigate the accident.

What caused the bike to crash remained unclear. Some witnesses said the boy was driving down the hill when his front tire struck the edge of the pavement, causing the bike to come to an abrupt stop and flinging the boy over the handlebars.

It was believed the boy lives a short distance from the park.

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