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An accident like this just makes one cringe and shudder. A bicyclist riding in San Diego County was struck by a pick-up truck and impaled on the roof rack of the vehicle. The accident occurred on the morning of March 9 in Lakeside, about 21 miles northeast of San Diego.
A 53-year-old man was riding his bicycle northbound near a convenience store when he collided with a westbound work truck. A hook on the pick-up’s cargo rack pierced under the bicyclist’s jaw and emerged from his right cheek. As a result, the bicyclist was left hanging on the metal peg. Serious and, sometimes, fatal injuries from accidents can happen to bicyclists.
Too Often, Cyclists Face Injury and Death
In the Lakeside accident, the cyclist was fortunate to survive. The victim, who sustained severe injuries, was alert and on his feet during the entire ordeal. While conferring with hospital personnel for 20 minutes, emergency workers attempted to remove the victim from the hook. They eventually did so while cautiously lifting him before transporting him to a hospital.
Here are some bicycle-related statistics that also may make you cringe and shudder.
- According to Outside magazine, 697 bicyclists died in the U.S. in 2020.
- California led the way with 118 fatalities.
- More than 26% of the deaths were the result of hit-and-run incidents.
- Among the biggest dangers to cyclists are hit-and-run, drunk and speeding drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In its statistical review of fatalities from 2015 to 2019, the NHTSA determined that those three factors contributed to 45% of cyclist fatalities.
Sharing the road with cyclists and being aware of their presence must become second nature to motor vehicle drivers. A cyclist always will lose out in a collision with a much larger and heavier vehicle. In the case of the Lakeside cyclist, this was clearly a fluke injury in a potentially avoidable accident. The victim may require plastic surgery and months to recover.