Motorcycle rider thrown off Rio bridge after clipping van

A motorcyclist has been thrown off an overpass in Brazil after he was hit by a van changing lanes.

The rider, named by TV Bandeirantes as Pedro Barbosa, somehow survived the fall but reportedly broke both his legs.

Barbosa was on the Joa Elevated Highway in Rio de Janeiro when the van in front swerved suddenly and left the rider with nowhere to go.

A passenger in a trailing car filmed as Barbosa lost control and hit the side barrier of the motorway.

The impact sends him tumbling head first over the edge.

Another video shows Barbosa on a pile of metal scaffolding underneath the bridge as he tries to take off his open-faced helmet.

The motorway leads to the Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood, an area which will host some of the venues of the 2016 Olympics.