AN 11-year-old boy was airlifted to hospital after becoming trapped beneath a bus when his bicycle came off a pavement as he cycled to school.

It is believed the youngster had been cycling alongside Tadcaster Road, one of the main routes into York city centre, at about 8.10am on Friday, when he came off the pavement and into the path of a car, before being hit by a bus.

Shocked commuters then realised the youngster had became trapped beneath the vehicle.

An off-duty doctor who was at the scene at the time of the accident is thought to have crawled underneath the bus to try and treat the young cyclist and reassure him before help arrived.

Police quickly closed the road, which runs parallel to York Racecourse and an air ambulance landed and airlifted the 11-year-old to Leeds General Infirmary.

The boy is said to have suffered injuries to his arms and legs.

The bus involved was a number 4 service to Acomb run by First York. A spokesman for First Group buses said it was a traumatic incident for all involved.

He said: “In terms of the driver, we’re making sure he is being given support.

“Clearly we’ll use all the available information such as our CCTV where possible and will obviously work closely with the police with the investigation.”

The road was closed between Pulleyn Drive and the Hob Moor junction as specialist collision investigators carried out enquiries at the scene.

Traffic was diverted until the route reopened at about 12.10pm.

Just two weeks ago a 12-year-old cyclist was left with serious head injuries after being in collision with a car on Wigginton Road in York, near the junction with the York Outer Ring Road at about 4.50pm on Saturday, January 10.

The young cyclist suffered a skull fracture and bleeding on the brain, but his injuries are no longer considered life-threatening.

Anyone who witnessed the collision on Tadcaster Road is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 – select option 2 – and pass information to the Force Control Room.

Please quote reference number NYP-23012015-0064 when passing information about this incident.