Clayton Roberts suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a massive crash at the start of Sunday’s AMA National Hare and Hound Championship race in Murphy, Idaho. The accident resulted in fractures to his T11 and T12 vertebrae, multiple broken ribs, and a broken clavicle, and doctors state it is “highly unlikely” he will be able to walk again.
The crash occurred roughly 300 yards into the Pro race. Roberts quickly moved up to second and was chasing Preston Campbell for the lead when he hit a dirt mound at 70 miles per hour (112.65 km/h), throwing him off his bike. Defending national champion Dalton Shirey, who was running third, quickly stopped and got off his bike, raised his hands to notify the oncoming rush of riders to avoid the scene, before going to Roberts to check on him.
Roberts was airlifted to the hospital in Boise for emergency surgery to stabilise the spine. He had eight 1.5-inch titanium screws and two rods inserted into his spine on Monday, and surgery for his clavicle is scheduled for Wednesday. According to his family, he is able to sit up with some assistance as of Tuesday, and they hope he can be moved to a rehabilitation facility in Southern California by the weekend.
The reigning Pro 250 Hare and Hound class champion, Roberts had been rapidly establishing himself as one of the top off-road riders in North America. He won the SCORE International Baja 400 in 2022 as the team-mate to Juan Carlos Salvatierra alongside Arturo Salas Jr. and Shane Logan, then shared a bike with Salas en route to claiming the 2023 Baja 500. Two weeks before the accident, he and Jesse Canepa and Ryan Marshall finished runner-up in the Mint 400.
His 2023 Pro 250 NHHA title campaign saw him win four of five races. He moved up to the Pro division for the 2024 season, finishing twelfth at the season opener in Lucerne Valley, California, in January.
Roberts’ family has set up a Road 2 Recovery Foundation page for donations.
