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2012-08-01 at 13:33

Teen struck

By Jamie Smith, tbnewswatch.com
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Emergency officials were investigating a collision between a vehicle and a teen on a bike Wednesday morning.

It appeared that the young male, 13, was crossing Cumberland Street near McVicar Street when he was struck by a Chevrolet Cobalt. The lower part of the car’s windshield was smashed in and skid marks were visible on the road.
He was responding to questions from emergency officials before being taken to hospital on a stretcher with non-life threatening injuries.. Witnesses appeared to be shaken up by the collision. His friends, who were standing near their bicycles, said they were heading to the skate park at Prince Arthur’s Landing. 

Police say the driver was a 51-year-old female and that there will be no charges laid. The teen was wearing a helmet, which police credit with saving him from having more severe injuries. 

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Comments

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Young Professional says:
This is a tragic event and I hope this young man has a speedy recovery.

I do wonder though if he was riding on the street, as recently mandated by our police force. Or if he was on the sidewalk, where it is claimed most of these accidents take place...
8/1/2012 2:19:08 PM
ForgotMyName says:
Being 13 years old I would think he is on a bike with wheels less then 24" which would allow him on the side walk by law.
8/1/2012 2:23:53 PM
Glyder says:
"It appeared that the young male, 13, was crossing Cumberland Street near McVicar Street"

He was crossing the turnoff/merge lane from Water onto Cumberland. I drove by there after it happened on the way home for lunch. Looks like he was crossing to get to the island at the lights.

That's where the car was being loaded onto a tow truck at least.
8/1/2012 2:26:42 PM
SomeGuy says:
Why does there seem to be an increasing number of vehicle and pedestrian/bike collisions? We seem to hear about one every other week.
8/1/2012 2:42:55 PM
Sandwiches1123 says:
I hope he was wearing a helmet. "Non-life threatening injuries" suggest that he probably was. Good thing because regardless of what he should/should have not been doing as a cyclist, there is no need for the wreckless loss of life.

This does bring up an interesting problem: How do cyclists get across to the Marina with ease?

The entrance at Water and Pearl (or Park - I can't remember) is a very busy stretch of road with no turning lane. The entrance at the overpass would force cyclists to cross, like this young man, across 5 lanes at another busy stretch of road. There is a cross walk between these two entrance areas but are cyclists allowed? One would think there could be a better solution if Prince Arthur's Landing is going to be one of our city's main attractions (based on the cost it should be).
8/1/2012 3:30:06 PM
theonlyopinionthatmatters says:
"The teen was wearing a helmet, which police credit with saving him from having more severe injuries."

.....
8/1/2012 3:49:13 PM
passlake says:
yes, they certainly CAN use the crosswalk. and they can use ANY of the controlled intersection crosswalks along that stretch of road.

"HTA 140(6)/144(29) - No riding in crosswalks
walk your bike when crossing at a crosswalk." -
8/1/2012 4:02:00 PM
random says:
Well, not really. You have to look deeper in the HTA, and in the regs as well.


A cyclist can use the crosswalk, but has to walk the bike, as it is for pedestrian traffic.
8/2/2012 11:45:04 AM
passlake says:
no.. really!

I quoted the Government of Ontario bicycle law page verbatim. "walk your bike when crossing at a crosswalk"

By the way, you linked to the PEI statues. They don't apply in Ontario.
8/2/2012 1:27:38 PM
tsb says:
Pearl or the Camelot walkway. Both have traffic lights. Simply ride in the street instead of the crosswalk to get around the traffic act. Pearl is easier because you have an actual road to ride on. It isn't too busy and if traffic is stopped there is little to worry about.
8/1/2012 10:15:58 PM
westfortchick says:
sad to see any person being struck by a vehicle..kudos to him and his parents for providing him withthe knowledge and guidance that he should wear a helmet.

On my drive to work everyday there are MANY people riding bikes with no helmets and many are distracted by their IPOds etc....

wake up everyone.....
8/1/2012 3:35:03 PM
fastball says:
"t..here are MANY people riding bikes with no helmets and many are distracted by their IPOds etc...."
I respectfully submit that there are probably FAR greater motorists that suffer from a similar distracted-attention issue. It's kinda hard to mess with an iPod when both your hands are on the handlebars.
8/1/2012 3:57:32 PM
Escroft says:
And there will be more and more, the more they force bike riders onto the roadways. It's funny how they think bicycles are vehicles. A bicycle crashing into a person leaves a broken bone AT WORST. A bicycle crashing into a jar leaves the bicycle a complete mangled wreck, a person critically injured or dead, and a car with a dent in its hood or crack in the windshield. Hmmmm, I wonder which is worse??
8/1/2012 4:01:26 PM
passlake says:
except bicycles ARE vehicles!

they're not forcing cyclists on the road. they're reminding them that they've legally been required to be on the road ever since they graduated to "adult" bikes.
8/1/2012 4:12:13 PM
Me n My Opinion says:
Most of the accidents, including this one are happening when cyclists are entering an intersection while riding on a sidewalk.

I'm not against riding on a sidewalk if proper precautions are taken by the cyclists. That includes things like speed, right-of-ways, eye contact with motorists, general common sense, etc. Unfortunately there are a lot of cyclists who don't ride like that on the sidewalks. I'm not saying all cyclists, but an awful lot of them.
8/1/2012 4:45:19 PM
random says:
If by "they" you mean the lawyers and lawmakers who put together the HTA, or even city by-laws, then there is nothing funny about it.
Bicycles are vehicles, whether you think it's stupid or not, and there are rules to protect people when using them.
For every person on here who thinks it is stupid to have cyclists on roads rather than sidewalks, talk to people walking, and people driving cars who get struck by cyclists flying off sidewalks at intersections.
Talk to a little kid who suffers, "at worst", a broken bone, and ask him/her how they feel about it...they might beg to differ on your definition of whats worse.
Could you also explain who exactly "they" are?
8/2/2012 11:54:18 AM
stuck? says:
ha.. ha... and HA.

Have to be living a pretty sheltered life to think that a broken bone is the worst injury somebody can endure when a bicycle crashes into them.

How about being knocked backwards onto the pavement head first and cracking your skull on the sidewalk? Could lead to brain damage.

Or if the pedestrian gets knocked into a busy street while there is oncoming traffic?

Perhaps the pedestrian who was struck by a cyclist was carrying a child or pushing a stroller? It's ok because it's just a broken bone, regardless if they're children right?

Not trying to knock you but wake up and smell the fires. The world isn't as care free as it was 50, 60, 70 years ago. People need to be aware of everybody else and look out for everybody else and not themselves. Take other people into account.
8/2/2012 12:59:21 PM
oscarmyerweiner says:
Very sad indeed, I hope everyone is alright. I don't agree with bike paths on the streets. Not safe at all. So much can happen your chain could derail, tire could pop, etc, which could throw you into traffic. You could get killed, injured, and the last thing to think about is insurance, who fault would it be? A scratch down the side of a car can be a costly expense, who will pay for that. I know when cyclists are using the paths most don't follow the rules of the road they cross on red lights as pedestrians and such. Some even think they are a vehicle. None of them stop for you when you are turning right. Who's to blame there. Have some common sense people. Thunder Bay is not a busy city, the sidewalks are usually empty and have more than enough room to accommodate walkers and cyclists. Remove these silly paths. They've given cyclists a false sense of safety and put a burden on the drivers out there. I don't even know how this got past city hall. NO BRAINS !!

8/1/2012 4:14:22 PM
Janie says:
Bikes are vehicles under the highway traffic act, this isn't just a local law.
Also, I have almost hit many cyclists as they speed across parking lot entrances on sidewalks, you can look before you start turning, but they come at the entrance so quickly that you are halfway through your turn before they are in your view. I have never come close to hitting a cyclist who is on the road alongside the cars, they are going the same direction as you, so you can easily see them as you approach them and move over into the other lane.
8/2/2012 8:24:39 AM
North18 says:
Ummmm Sandwiches1123, there is a enclosed crosswalk that crosses Water St and it has been there for many years. The whole purpose of it being built was so that people and cyclist would have an easy time getting across the heavy traffic on Water St. Its there, people should use it.
8/1/2012 4:29:03 PM
DazeofThunder says:
Somebody should tell westfortchick for every one bad cyclist there are 100 bad drivers. That's the simple law of averages.
8/1/2012 6:53:45 PM
summer time fun says:
hope he recovers intime for the real pain: school :)

8/1/2012 7:22:21 PM
imhere says:
I'm glad the boy is alright. Kudos for him having a helmet on!!!

It's time for the community to stop coming down on cyclists. Learn to share the road people and take an extra 2 seconds to look before going when the light turns green and actually stopping for red lights. That would help.
8/1/2012 8:19:34 PM
KN says:
Thankfully he was wearing a helmut! He was crossing at a crosswalk. I have instructed my children to ride on the sidewalks at all times and to be respectful and careful in regards to pedestrians. The bike lanes are very dangerous and confusing. I will not let my children ride with traffic speeding up behind them and trusting that drivers are paying attention. I would rather teach them to stay safe, wear a helmut, be aware of pedestrians and stay off the bike lanes no matter what!!! Mommy will pay the fine to know they are safe!
8/1/2012 8:47:21 PM
jb says:
It has been stated several times that if your children are riding bikes with a wheel diameter less than 24" (which is every child size bike), they are allowed on the sidewalk. It would be pretty irresponsible of a parent to allow a young child to ride on the street.
8/2/2012 10:46:58 AM
glock9 says:
Yup I see ppl all the time using the bike lanes as passing lanes and turn lanes on victoria ave, wheres the policing ?
8/2/2012 7:23:49 AM
youngintbay says:
How do you think the bike lanes are confusing? You follow a lane. If you want to make a turn move into the turning lane. wow that was rocket science. Parents need to start leading by example and teach there children to stop using there ipods and cell phones while riding. And how to properly change lanes with hand signals. I Ride everyday to and from work and never have problems. I use hand signals and do make eye contact with drivers. I do bike on the busy streets too. It was just bad luck for this accident thats all. Maybe some of the children that are on summer holidays will use the overpass at water st after this accident.

Props to the parents of this child with teaching him to wear his helmet. People helmets do help and do save lives.
8/2/2012 7:37:08 AM
pennylou says:
The facts are: This kid is 13, he was wearing a helmet, he was struck at a crosswalk, there were skid marks indicating sudden reaction to an action and the driver was NOT charged.. The grey area is .. He APPEARED to be crossing..Seeing that the driver was not charged tells me the driver was not at fault. It would appear and I say appear loosely that this unskilled, young rider, likely made a unexpected turn in front of this driver forcing her to brake suddenly and hard enough to leave tracks.. Luckily , it sounds like the boy will be alright and he was wearing a helmet which likely made the difference. Riders do need to be more cautious especially around intersections where motorests have the most distractions and can be surprised by riders suddenly appearing out of blind spots..
8/2/2012 7:41:31 AM
SMB says:
OK, here we go again:

It is a contravention of the provincial Highway Traffic Act s. 144(29) to ride a bicycle (of any size) within or along a crosswalk.

Thunder Bay city by-law 065-2011 s. 45(5) states that no person shall ride a bicycle on any sidewalk, though s. 1(2) defines a bicycle for the purposes of the by-law as having wheels greater than 43cm. That's 17 inches, not 24 inches, as so many people seem to think.
8/2/2012 9:21:01 AM
ircorrect says:
Bicycles may be considered a vehicle by law, but they can't be considered a motor vehicle and should never ever have been put in the same category as motor vehicles. Many people have commented that a bike wouldn't cause nearly the same kind of damage as a car and they are correct. To disagree with this sentiment is both irrational and silly. You're basically defending a point so that you don't have to admit you're wrong.

Bicycles may be vehicles in that they transport people and things, but they are not thousand kilogram motor vehicles with substantially more mass and inertia that has a much higher potential for damage. Anyone with any knowledge of basic physics should know how stupid it is to put bicycles in the same category as cars and trucks and require them to follow the same rules.

Bike paths and dedicated bike lanes are a great idea. Painted lines on a road that don't separate these two very different vehicles is just plain stupid and lazy.
8/2/2012 9:58:07 AM
Ange says:
It is always safe for cyclist to share sidewalks. In my opinion, sidewalks should be divided into two parts half for general people and half for cyclist. Chances of fatal accident is high when cyclists are with motor vehicles. While less serious collision (chance)ie, no life threatning for both people and cyclist, may be predicted if these cyclist are with sidewalkers. Cycle path are shared with sidewalks in the cycle friendly countries in Europe as well.
8/2/2012 11:27:41 AM
newsreader says:
How is it that a busy city like Toronto has bike lanes painted on their downtown streets and cyclists seem to survive their treks along them and we can’t do the same?
8/2/2012 11:40:31 AM
Valleygirl5 says:
Ok people,why don't you read the story correctly
the teen was crossing at a crosswalk, and the car hit him, obviously she wasn't paying attention, wheather he was biking or walking across the crosswalk, bottom line is that he still got hit. Also she had to of hit him quite hard to smash her windsheild. Thank god the teen is ok. It is up to us as drivers to be more vidulant and pay attention to crosswalks, pedestrians have the right away.
8/2/2012 1:17:18 PM
She says:
I hardly see people walking on sidewalks.But I see cyclists holding up traffic when there is a unused sidewalk right beside them(It doesn't make sense) Why not make sidewalks bigger so walkers and cyclists can share them? I'm sure this would be safer for everyone.
8/2/2012 1:22:08 PM
ThunderBayFullOfCrime says:
How is it that people don't look at statistics, and see thousands of cyclists getting run over where these bike lanes are present? I think it would be in the best interest of cyclists to have a bike mounted video camera and would make drivers more cautious around cyclists.
8/2/2012 2:20:04 PM
bigbird says:
To valleygirl 5 . I read near mcvicar st so I seen to think he was not at a crosswalk.If the Driver was not charged, why was the kid not charged.
8/2/2012 5:12:12 PM
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