Now that summer has unofficially arrived in Maryland, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and other seasonal vehicles are returning to the road after a long winter in hibernation. Unfortunately, the additional traffic on the road can lead to additional accidents on the road. In a most unusual bicycle accident, a Maryland ice cream truck driver is being charged with running down a bicyclist.
Last month, a 24-year-old cyclist was riding his bike on a sidewalk while on the way home from work on Bike to Work day when he was hit by the ice cream truck driven by a 52-year-old man from New Carrollton, Maryland.
According to police, the ice cream truck was coming from a side street when the driver failed to see the bicyclist. After striking the cyclist, the truck dragged him a short way down the street.
Police Sgt. Daniel Grim reported that the cyclist’s injuries were painful and included tire tracks on his back, but that none of his injuries were life threatening. The driver of the ice cream truck has been charged with a failure to yield the right of way.
A witness to the accident said he is reconsidering his idea to bike to work and plans on using his job as a civil engineer to help create special bike lanes designed to increase safety for cyclists.
The family of the injured cyclist said that he was recovering at his parent’s house from broken bones. Acting as a spokesman, the young man’s father said that the members of his family are all avid cyclists, saying that he doesn’t believe the public cares about cyclists, adding that he and his family practice safe biking.
Source: FairfaxTimes.com, “Burke cyclist run over by ice cream truck,” Gregg MacDonald, 5/27/2011
