John Kerry Breaks Leg In Bicycle Accident Outside Geneva

By Camila Domonoske

Published May 31, 2015 at 5:46 AM CDT

A file photo from March shows Secretary of State John Kerry rides his bicycle along the shore of Lake Geneva after holding meetings with Iran's Foreign Minister in Lausanne, Switzerland. The State Department confirms that Kerry broke his leg in a bicycle accident near the French-Swiss border today.

Updated at 11:40 a.m. ET

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has broken his leg in a bike crash outside of Geneva, the State Department has confirmed.

"Secretary Kerry broke his right femur in a bicycling accident this morning in Scionzier, France," State Department spokesman John Kirby says.

"Given the injury is near the site of his prior hip surgery, he will return to Boston today to seek treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital with his doctor who did the prior surgery. The Secretary is stable and never lost consciousness, his injury is not life-threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery," he said.

Kirby added that Kerry was in "good spirits and grateful to the French and Swiss authorities, doctors, and nurses who assisted him after the accident."

Kerry has called off the rest of his four-nation diplomatic trip.

The crash occurred near near the Swiss border, not far from Geneva, where Kerry has been holding nuclear talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Kerry often takes bike rides while he's traveling.

A physician and a paramedic were on the scene as part of Kerry's motorcade, and the secretary of state was transported by helicopter to Geneva's main hospital, where he was examined.

The Associated Press says:

A paramedic traveling with his motorcade immediately examined the secretary after his bike apparently hit a curb, causing the fall, Kirby said. ...

Kerry 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 conference on combating the Islamic State group.