Bicycle accidents claim another victim in New York

Cyclists on the roads of this city flirt with danger every day. Bicycle accidents involving transit vehicles are so common in New York that the media rarely reports on any but the most serious cases. Sadly, one of these cases befell a citizen on the morning of July 24.

According to the accident record, an unidentified cyclist was struck by a New York City bus sometime around 9:42 a.m. The details of the crash are not widely understood at this point — it is not known whether the bus or the bicyclist had the right of way at the time of the accident. However, witnesses say the cyclist was dragged under the right wheel of the bus.

Medical personnel on the scene rushed the cyclist to a local hospital with injuries described as serious. New York police have not speculated as to whether inattention, recklessness or intoxication may have played a role in this accident. It is also believed the bus driver and any passengers on board the bus at the time of the crash were unharmed. No further information is available at this time, but the police investigation continues.

Unfortunately, bicycle accidents often result in serious personal injury or worse. While a bicycle typically moves slower than a motor vehicle, it does not afford the same protection from harm. In this case, if New York authorities determine the bus driver to be culpable for the accident, the injured cyclist may choose to file a personal injury suit against the driver and possibly also the driver’s employer.

Source: streetsblog.com, “Bus Driver Seriously Injures Cyclist on Hudson River Greenway“, Brad Aaron, July 24, 2014