News alert: Charlie St. Clair, Laconia Motorcycle Week executive director, recovering after accident in Ohio

The Lakes Region community is pulling for Charlie St. Clair — a state representative, former Laconia mayor, and executive director of Laconia Motorcycle Week — following a motorcycle accident Tuesday, while on his way to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.

The Laconia Motorcycle Association issued a statement on Facebook about St. Clair's accident on Aug. 4, in Avon, Ohio.

“Charlie sustained severe injuries and is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit at a Cleveland hospital,” according to the post Thursday morning. “The cause of the accident was due to a tire malfunction. No one else was injured in the accident. At this early stage, the full extent of Charlie’s injuries and his long-term prognosis are not yet known.

Motorcycle Week Deputy Director Jenn Anderson, a longtime friend of St. Clair's, said he is in the hospital at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, with serious injuries. She said this was his 50th consecutive trip to the rally in Sturgis, which is in its 86th year.

The accident happened Tuesday evening, and she flew to Cleveland, to stay with St. Clair, as he recovers from injuries.

“There is a lot of assessment that is still to come, because of swelling, but it is extensive,” Anderson said Thursday.

Anderson said St. Clair was riding with a friend, who was about 20 feet behind him, and saw the accident on Interstate 90. Anderson said no other vehicles were involved, and two nurses in cars behind him came to his aid.

The post from the Laconia Motorcycle Association expressed gratitude to the Avon Police Department, as well as emergency personnel, for their “swift response and care.”

“Our thoughts are with Charlie and his loved ones during this difficult time,” the post reads.

Mayor Mike Bordes, who has served alongside St. Clair in the Statehouse and on the Belknap County Delegation, wrote a post on Facebook that he is in his thoughts and prayers. He called it a “devastating moment for our community,” and everyone is “standing squarely behind him” as he recovers.

Bordes said, in an interview Thursday afternoon, he not only has worked with St. Clair in the Statehouse and is the mayor to immediately follow St. Clair, but is also a big fan.

“The whole community is pulling for him to get through this,” Bordes said. “We all know Charlie. He’s done a lot for Laconia, and I think this community is well aware of that.”

On Thursday afternoon, more than 1,000 people had reacted to the rally’s post, with more than 300 comments and more than 200 shares.

The post states the motorcycle association will provide updates as they become available.