Berkeley cyclist suffers critical injuries in bike crash

• Posted on: February 2, 2016

• Bicycle Accidents
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According to the California Highway Patrol, 10 bicycle accidents had been reported from 2001 through 2014 at a particular intersection in the Berkeley Police Department’s jurisdiction. It was also reported that almost 10 percent of employed Berkeley residents use bicycles to commute. The safety and convenience project for cyclists have reportedly not been updated since 2005. Every bike crash serves as a reminder that an updated plan is overdue.

A 42-year-old Berkeley resident landed in the hospital with critical injuries after she was struck by a vehicle on a recent Tuesday. A police report says the woman was riding her bicycle south on a local roadway shortly before 5 p.m. when a vehicle traveling in the same direction collided with her. Emergency workers from the fire department arrived on the scene promptly and extricated the cyclist from underneath the vehicle where she was pinned.

The bicycle rider was hospitalized, and her condition was reported to be critical as at the time of a report issued on the following evening. The 47-year-old driver of the vehicle who was suspected of being intoxicated at the time of the accident remained at the scene during the investigation. He was later arrested by officers of the Berkeley Police Department.

The victim of this bike crash will likely have to face high medical bills after her hospitalization along with a possible loss of income. However, she will be entitled to pursue financial relief by filing a personal injury claim in a California civil court. Before the court considers documented financial, physical and emotional damages, negligence must be established as motivation for the entry of a monetary judgment.