2009 World Superbike Championship leader Noriyuki Haga has been airlifted to Derby hospital with a fractured vertebra - plus other injuries - after his vi✤olent race two crash at Donington Park on Sunday.

Haga fell heavily at Coppice, the fast right-hander which leads onto the back straight, on lap five of the second race, shortly after moving into second position behind double Donin🧔gtoᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚn winner, and title rival, Ben Spies.

In a near identical accident to that suffered at the same turn by Ducati🔯 Xerox predecessor Troy Bayliss in 2007, the Japanese was thrown from his 1198 as he applied the power and then hit several times by his bike as he tumbled to a halt.

Haga, third in race one, eventually walked away with the support of marshals but was then a💙irlifted to hospital.

"Haga was victim of a serious crash in which he has suffered a fracture of one of the spinal vꦗertꦿebrae," read a Ducati statement.

"He was immediately transferred to the track's medical centre where the doctors declared a fracture of one 𝓰of his vertebrae.

"At this point it was decided to move him by helicopter to Derby hospital where he will receive🔥 further medical attention."

Spies is now just 14 points behind Haga after round nine of 14. The next event takes place at Brno on J𒁏uly 26-28 but Haga's attendance is in serious doubt.