take a spill
To fall or stumble onto the ground. Often used with modifiers like "bad," "nasty," "awful," etc. I'm so scared that my mother is going to take a spill going down those stairs someday and end up breaking a hip. He took a nasty spill on his bicycle on his way home from work.
take a spill
to have a fall; to tip over. (Also with bad, nasty, quite, etc. Also with have.) Ann tripped on the curb and took a nasty spill. John had quite a spill when he fell off his bicycle.