People in San Diego may have heard about a gruesome accident that occurred at a La Mesa intersection last month. Police say a man on a bicycle was hit and run over by an armored car in the middle of a busy intersection. The victim was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he remained in critical condition.
Police shut down the intersection for several hours as they conducted a thorough investigation in order to determine exactly what happened. They determined that the accident occurred while the armored car was making a right turn onto University Avenue, but they could not determine whether the driver or the cyclist was at fault for the accident.
Bicycle accidents have a tragically high fatality rate when cyclists are struck by larger vehicles moving at high speeds. This case was perhaps worse than many, since in this case the man was struck by a tremendous lumbering vehicle designed to keep thieves from penetrating the armor of the vehicle by force or explosion. Armored cars weigh many tons and due to their unusual shape, they also may have limited visibility when it comes to cyclists and pedestrians in their peripheral.
In this case, the victim was reportedly run over by both sets of the armored car’s wheels. It is quite miraculous that the victim was not killed instantly, but even if he does survive this ordeal, he may face a long and painful recovery and a lifetime of physical disabilities.
Cyclists who are hit by negligent or reckless drivers who fail to obey traffic laws could be entitled to significant compensation for their injuries. When victims suffer life-altering bicycle accidents, those responsible must be held accountable for the damages they cause. In this case, it could mean the victim may be able to obtain damages for pain and suffering, lost wages, medical bills and other financial losses.
Source: UT San Diego “Cyclist run over by armored truck,” Pauline Repard, March 26, 2015
