Teenage boy rams into cyclist with stolen car
A 16-year-old boy ran out of luck after he hijacked a car and later rammed into a cyclist on Wednesday, 28 May. The accident happened in West Town, Chicago.
The car, a Chevrolet Tahoe had been reported stolen in a carjacking incident earlier on the same day, police reported. Two male suspects in the stolen car were taken into custody. Two guns were found and police reported that one suspect in the car was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. West Town is relatively a quiet neighborhood, but it does have its fair share of crime. The neighborhood's crime rates are 68% higher than the USA national average
According to the police report, the apprehended suspect was driving at a reckless speed when he crashed into the cyclist who was on a divvy, at about 6 pm. The cyclist, whose name and age was not provided, was taken to the hospital with some injuries but in a stable condition. Surveillance footage also revealed that the teenager narrowly missed three other cyclists before hitting the divvy cycler.
The teenage boy was charged with car hijacking, unlawful possession and use of a firearm, while charges were still pending against his accomplice, who is 19 years old.
Crash site ||CBS Chicago
Cycling Trends in the City
Cycling has seen an upward trend in many cities for commuting and exercise purposes over the past few years. To further mitigate injuries to cyclists, many of the cities have constructed more multi-use bike paths and protected bike lanes permitting cyclists to get to their destination points with less risk.
These efforts have been effective in meeting many objectives concerning the public's interest in bicycles and a rise in bicycle use, however, despite these efforts, there are still many bicycle injuries and fatalities. Numbers show that male cyclists are injured at a much higher rate than female riders. The assumption for the reason is that male cyclists, especially the younger ones, take more risks than their female counterparts. Female riders tend to be safer and are more mindful of their safety and security.
The Dangers of City Cycling
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that around 55,000 cyclists are injured in the USA annually, with estimates suggesting that these numbers only represent 10% of all serious cyclist injuries. This has raised many concerns over the nationwide safety of all those who partake in cycling.
While motorists usually accuse cyclists of being the main cause behind bike-car accidents, a study that was carried out has shown that this is not the case. The most common type of crash in this research involved a motorist entering an intersection controlled by a stop sign or traffic light and either failing to stop properly or driving before it was safe to do so. The second most common accident type involved a motorist overtaking unsafely. The third most common type of crash was a motorist opening the car door onto an oncoming cyclist. Cyclists are apparently the cause of just under 10% of accidents involving a bike and car in this study.