A 13-year-old girl was sent to the hospital after being hit by a vehicle while riding her bike in Lacombe Park Wednesday morning.
Witnesses told the responding St. Albert RCMP Traffic Services Unit officer that the girl entered the intersection of Liberton Drive and Lennox Drive without stopping and that the driver of the oncoming vehicle was unable to stop in time to avoid a collision with the cyclist. Speed was not an issue in the incident.
The girl was not wearing a helmet. She suffered only minor injuries, but was sent to the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton due to the nature of the collision.
Given that she was under the age of 18, she was charged with failing to properly wear a safety helmet on a bicycle, which amounts to a $93 fine.
As warmer temperatures are encouraging more cyclists to take to the trails and roads in St. Albert, the RCMP are reminding the public to wear helmets and follow the rules of the road while on their bikes.
This includes knowing and using the proper hand signals, adhering to all road signs, such as stop and yield signs, proceeding only when safe, yielding right of way, dismounting while using a crosswalk, and travelling in the same direction as traffic.
“Cyclists have to know that there are specific rules that they have to follow that are similar to that of a motor vehicle,” said Constable M-J Burroughs, with the crime prevention and victim services branch of the St. Albert RCMP.
