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The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Student hit by car, cited for cycling in business district

By Ana Breton

A U student on a bike was hit by a car at a crosswalk on 400 South and State Street on Friday afternoon around 1 p.m.

Dave McCollum, a senior in music theory, was traveling southbound on his Shogun bicycle when a turquoise Mazda SE clipped his front tire as it attempted to make a right turn.

The car owners were unharmed, and McCollum suffered minor injuries.

“I don’t think the truck saw me as I was going across, so they proceeded to take a right,” he said. “I tried to brake, but it still hit me.”

Witnesses said the vehicle stopped as its driver checked for pedestrians. They also said the crosswalk sign was still green.

The owners of the Mazda declined to comment.

Officer Mike Hatch of the Salt Lake City Police Department said the fault of the accident has not yet been determined. McCollum, however, was given a citation for riding a bicycle in a central business district area.

“The reason why people are not supposed to be riding bicycles on the sidewalk is because you can come out of nowhere,” Hatch said. “There’s a lot of traffic in the business area, and it’s just too dangerous to be on the sidewalk.”

Bicycle riders need a registered bike license to drive in the central business district, which is described as the area between 300 East, North Temple, 400 South and 500 West.

Unlicensed cyclists, however, can ride on the street “as long as they observe the same traffic laws as (car) drivers,” Hatch said.

McCollum was aware of the law regarding bicycle licenses but chose to drive on the sidewalk because it was the fastest route to his destination.

“With my job, you have to be as efficient as possible in order to get your work done as soon as possible,” McCollum said.

McCollum works for the Salt Lake City Couriers, a company that delivers business packages. At the time, McCollum was delivering a package to the Scott Matheson Courthouse.

“There are just too many obstacles and traffic patterns on the street that you have to read and somehow make more efficient to your favor,” McCollum said.

According to the CRASH data produced by the Intermountain Injury Control Research Center and the U’s CODES project (Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System), 19.4 percent of total bicyclist-motor crashes in 2002 occurred when a bicyclist was riding on the roadway with traffic.

Nearly half-11.8 percent-of the accidents happened when the bicyclist was riding on the sidewalk.

McCollum said he will contest the citation. After some medical treatment for cuts and scrapes, he was able to deliver the package to the courthouse and finish his shift.

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