6:43pm UK, Saturday July 18, 2009

A female spectator has died and two other people have been hurt after being hit by a police motorcycle during the Tour de France.

Scene of panic after woman hit by police motorbike

The woman, in her 60s, was crossing the road when she was struck by the bike.

The policeman then fell off and his motorcycle, slid and hit the other victims, tour organisers said.

The three were treated by paramedics and the woman died at the scene.

She was crossing the road after a breakaway group of riders had passed when she was hit by one of the several police motorbikes which accompany the race.

The two survivors, a 37-year-old woman and a man in his 60s, were taken to hospital but do not have life-threatening injuries.

One of the wounded was a mother with a child in her arms, but the youngster was not hurt.

Commander Christophe Blanc said the officer could not avoid hitting the woman.

The accident happened on the 14th stage of the world famous cycling race.

It took place in the village of Wittelsheim, about 40km from the start of Saturday’s event in Colmar. The finish was in Besancon.

“We can confirm that one person has died,” said Alain Fontaine, a spokesman for the gendarmerie military who police the area.

“A woman crossed the road and was hit by a Republican Guardsman on a motorcycle then the motorcycle slid and hit one or two more people.”

The Republican Guard are the ceremonial unit of the gendarmerie.

It was the first fatal accident on the Tour since 2002, when a child died after being hit by a car from the publicity caravan.