On June 16, an Alabama woman was hit by a car while she was riding her bicycle. The incident occurred at an Alabama 59 intersection in Gulf Shores. Her injuries were so severe that she required helicopter transport to the hospital, where she received treatment for her injuries.
One lane of traffic along Alabama 59 suffered closure while emergency crews worked at the accident scene. According to police, the injured woman was between 20 and 25 years of age, and they thought she was a student on summer break. The identities of the victim and the driver of the car that hit her have not been revealed by authorities at this time.
Based on initial evaluations by police, law enforcement officials do not believe that any kind of illegal activities caused the crash at this time. Police say that it appeared to be an accident. Police also indicated that there is a lot of bicycle and pedestrian traffic in the area where the accident occurred.
Regardless of whether or not police ultimately decide to charge a driver in a bicycle accident, an injured cyclist may wish to complete his or her own independent evaluation of accident scene evidence to determine how the accident occurred. This could be helpful in evaluating the viability of legal claims that would attempt to hold the motor vehicle driver financially liable for injuries and damages caused by the crash.
Alabama car accidents involving bicycles and/or pedestrians can result in extremely tragic injuries to the cyclists and pedestrians involved. Cyclists and pedestrians just do not have the level of protection that a motor vehicle provides. This is why car drivers must be very careful to watch the roadways in order to avoid being involved in an accident with these unprotected individuals. In the event that a negligent or unlawful motor vehicle operator causes injuries to a pedestrian or cyclist in a car crash, the injured party may have a viable case for restitution in court.
Source: gulfcoastnewstoday.com, “Bicyclist hit by car in Gulf Shores” No author given, Jun. 17, 2014
