A 39-year-old Santa Rosa woman out jogging along a creek-side trail was struck by a bicycle rider on Feb. 4, suffering a fractured skull in the collision. She did not hear the bicycle rider approaching, and was caught off guard when the bike hit her.

The pedestrian accident occurred on the Santa Rosa Creek Trail, a path widely used by pedestrians, joggers, dog walkers, bike riders, families on outings, and children engaged in play. The jogger had just moved from the right of the path to the center to execute a U-turn and return back to where she came from when the bike struck her and then sped off after knocking her down. Her injuries required immediate medical attention.

The woman, a physical fitness teacher, suffered bleeding in her ear and brain, accompanied by pain and nausea. Investigators state that the bicycle rider, to date, has not stepped forward to acknowledge their role in the accident, and has not been apprehended by police.

The injured woman continues to suffer extreme pain, requiring her to return to a hospital emergency room on Feb. 10 to seek further treatment. She has two boys and is herself an enthusiastic bike rider. Since the accident, according to her mother, she has not been able to properly take care of her children, operate a vehicle, or even walk with comfort more than a very short distance.

The accident and its tragic consequences underlines the importance of bicyclists, just like motorists, paying attention to their duty to operate their vehicle safely and not put others, including pedestrians, at risk of serious injury. Additionally, the bicycle rider, just as a motorist, had an obligation to stop and attempt to render assistance or summon emergency responders, after injuring the woman.

Source: Press Deomcrat, "Santa Rosa runners, cyclists abuzz on heels of injury crash," Julie Johnson, Feb. 12, 2012