President Petr Pavel was injured yesterday while riding his motorcycle, the Presidential Office (KPR) announced on Twitter (styled as ‘X’) in the evening. The injuries are not serious, but the president will remain at the Central Military Hospital (UVN) in Prague for a short observation
UVN spokeswoman Jitka Zinke confirmed to CTK that the hospital had admitted and treated the president, who remains there for observation. She has not specified the length of the hospitalisation, but said the injuries were not serious.
Police are not investigating the accident because it happened on a closed sports circuit.
“The injury did not occur on a road, but on a closed sports circuit, and for this reason we are not investigating the matter as a traffic accident,” the police wrote on Twitter. According to Denik N, the circuit where the president was riding was in the Central Bohemia Region.
A spokesman for the president, Vit Kolar, told Czech Television that Pavel would probably remain in hospital for several days.
Kolar said that KPR does not yet know the exact nature of the president’s injuries. “In any case, it is a minor injury. The president will probably be under observation for several days,” Kolar said. “If anything changes, we will provide information about it absolutely openly and transparently,” he added.
Kolar said the president’s hospitalisation should not have a significant impact on his schedule, given the upcoming weekend.
Among others, Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) wished the president a speedy recovery.
62-year-old Pavel has continued riding his motorcycle since he was elected to the presidency last year. The retired general is known for his good physical condition, and was reported to be skydiving in February.
In April, the president received facial injuries in a shooting accident at a range at the Czech Armaments Factory in Uhersky Brod, where he stopped during a two-day visit to the Zlin Region. He suffered a minor laceration near his eyebrows while shooting a long gun with a scope, but the injury did not require medical treatment at the time.
Pavel underwent a medical examination at UVN before his inauguration, and then published a report on his health shortly before taking over the Presidential Office. According to the doctors, the comprehensive examination showed that he was medically fit to perform all presidential duties.
