Note: According to Albuquerque Police Sgt. Peter Hackett if a bicyclist is in the crosswalk and there are no bicycle lanes bicyclist do not have the right of way. Conversely, if there are no bike lanes...stay out of the cross walk and you should have the right of way because, according to Sgt. Hackett, "bicyclists must operate under the same traffic rules as motorists."
Bicyclist hospitalized after accident
Updated: Wednesday, 08 Jul 2009, 12:36 PM MDT
Published : Wednesday, 08 Jul 2009, 8:54 AM MDT
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - An Albuquerque bicyclist is in critical condition after he was hit by a van early Wednesday morning.
Police and rescue crews were called to the site of the crash at Broadway Boulevard and Menaul Boulevard NE around 6:40 a.m. Wednesday.
According to police, the van was turning from northbound Broadway to eastbound Menaul when it struck bicyclist Nicholas Lucio, 26, pinning him under the van. It's not clear which direction Lucio was heading.
Rescue crews had to lift the van using a jack and wooden blocks to get the bicyclist out and into an ambulance.
Lucio was rushed to a hospital, where he is said to be in critical condition from a head injury. Police said they're waiting for him to regain consciousness so they can ask him about the crash.
The van's driver, Martin Molina, said he didn't know he had hit the bicyclist but thought one of the van's tires had blown out, which is why he stopped about 35 feet away. Police questioned him about the crash but he was soon released.
According to investigators, it appeared Lucio was in the crosswalk, but, according to Sgt. Peter Hackett, that would not have given him the right of way because there are no bicycle lanes on either Broadway or Menaul.
Hackett said bicyclists must operate under the same traffic rules as motorists, and don't have the right-of-way in crosswalks.
No comments:
Post a Comment