California Injury Lawyer Blog

A car turning left into a business entrance struck and seriously injured a Santa Rosa man riding a bicycle Monday afternoon, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported. The car vs. bicycle accident occurred around 3:10 p.m. on Monday August 9th on River Road, west of Fulton Road. According to news reports, the cyclist, William Brown, 63, of Santa Rosa, was riding westbound on the right should of River Road, while Clements Boylan, 74, of Freelan, was driving a 1994 Lexus eastbound. Boylan began turning left into the parking lot of the Fruit Basket fruit stand when he struck Brown on his bicycle. The impact threw Brown onto the hood of the Lexus. He suffered serious injuries but is expected to survive. Boylan told drivers he did not see Brown until it was too late.

This bicycle accident occurred not far from the location of a fatal accident on River Road earlier this year. A man died and three people were injured in a chain reaction crash at River Road and Sommer Street on April 27th.

Cause of the Bicycle Accident

If news reports are accurate, it appears that this crash was caused by the driver of the Lexus making the left turn. The state law pertaining to left turns is found in California Vehicle Code Section 21801 (a) "The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with reasonable safety." In this situation, the bicycle would be considered a vehicle.

Bicycle Accident Injury Liability

If the driver of the Lexus is determined to have caused this bicycle accident, he may be liable for the injuries the cyclist sustained. While this crash remains under investigation, the family of the victim may benefit from speaking to an experienced northern California bicycle accident lawyer about this accident and the legal issues involved. An attorney who is also a cyclist and who has represented numerous victims of bicycle accidents can help the victim protect his legal rights and recover the maximum financial compensation he may be entitled to following this accident.