Motorcyclist in critical condition after being thrown from bike on I-293 in Manchester

A motorcyclist is in extremely critical condition after being thrown from his bike on I-293 North in Manchester, according to the Manchester Fire Department.At 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, a motorcycle was reported in the road near Granite Street on the Exit 5 off-ramp from 293 North. A motorcycle was found abandoned on the road with no rider, officials say. "There was a passerby that got out of the ca that said he heard somebody screaming from the edge of the water," Manchester Fire Battalion Chief Robert Plantier said. Upon investigation, officials say the rider was ejected over the guardrail several hundred feet from the motorcycle. "It was very obvious he was in serious trouble," Plantier said. "He got ejected from the motorcycle, potentially sliding along the guardrail for probably 100 feet and then getting kicked off the riverside of the guardrail."The department says the motorcyclist fell up to 65 feet off the Exit ramp and landed on the bank of the Merrimack River after trees deflected him back toward the bridge."If he had landed in the water, if that tree wasn't there and he landed in the water, he would have been downstream," Plantier said. "Nobody would have found this guy."Fire crews deployed boats from the ramp near Delta Dental Stadium, traveling across the Merrimack River to rescue the rider. Firefighters say he was the sole occupant of the motorcycle. The motorcyclist had catastrophic injuries from the guardrail as well as the fall, suffering multi-system trauma. The scene was cleared just before 4 a.m.State Police are now investigating the crash, Battalion Chief Plantier says that speed likely played a significant role. "This situation could have easily been avoided by just slowing down, and it's something if this gentleman survives, he will carry the battle scars for the rest of his life," Plantier said. >> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go << This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information comes in.