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Second cyclist in weeks to strike a vehicle

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Wednesday evening

A second incident in two weeks involving a cyclist hitting a vehicle serves as a reminder from police for cyclists to wear a helmet and ensure they obey the rules of road.

Wednesday evening around 10:30 p.m., a cyclist struck an SUV at the corner of 5th Street and Fitzgerald in Courtenay, sending the cyclist to hospital.

"The cyclist was coming down 5th Street and the vehicle was making a left hand turn at 5th and Fitzgerald and had already begun the turn and the cyclist ran into the side of the SUV," said Comox Valley RCMP Const. Tammy Douglas to media.

"It's a four way stop. It's important for cyclists to remember they have the same rules of the road as the vehicles do, so they're required to stop as is a vehicle is required to stop as well."

Douglas added the cyclist was unresponsive at first, but began to regain consciousness, and he appeared to have a head injury and was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital in Comox for evaluation.

"He wasn't wearing a helmet and he was dressed in dark clothes at nighttime so visibility is really important and certainly wearing a helmet would have helped in this instance," she added.

"People need to make sure they're visible to the motoring public especially when they're riding their bike at nighttime."

While the file is under investigation, there is a possibility the cyclist could face charges.

In late August, a 28-year-old Courtenay man hit a pickup truck at the intersection of Ryan and Back roads on his BMX-style bike.

The investigation revealed he was travelling around 60 km/h downhill and was not wearing a helmet.

photos@comoxvalleyrecord.com

— With a file from CTV Vancouver Island

 



Erin Haluschak

About the Author: Erin Haluschak

Erin Haluschak is a journalist with the Comox Valley Record since 2008. She is also the editor of Trio Magazine...
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