Boy on bicycle hit at downtown Charlevoix crosswalk
CHARLEVOIX — A 14-year-old boy was hit by a car last week as he darted across a crosswalk on his bicycle north of the bridge near the Weathervane Restaurant.
The accident happened at around 5:30 p.m. on July 10. The boy was crossing the street on a bicycle when he was struck by a car heading south on Bridge Street. His accident required hospitalization, however specifics are unknown. No one else was injured in the incident, according to Charlevoix Police Chief Gerard Doan.
At the time, traffic was moving slowly in the left lane and a car going at a faster pace in the right lane came into contact with the child as he sped across the crosswalk ahead of his mother and another bystander, according to Doan.
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Per the Michigan Vehicle Code (257.612), "vehicular traffic shall yield right-of-way to other vehicles and pedestrians and bicyclists lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk..."
However, Doan said the vehicle involved was not speeding and could not have prevented the accident as the field of vision was obscured by cars in the left hand lane. He cautioned pedestrians to “watch cautiously when crossing the street” and to “make eye-contact with drivers.”
“Just because you’re walking across the street doesn’t mean you’re invincible,” he said.
The last similar pedestrian accident happened in June 2021 when a man was hit while crossing the street near the Villager restaurant. In that instance, the vehicle was at fault as he was clearly visible in the intersection, said Doan.
Contact reporter Annie Doyle at adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Bicyclist hit by car at downtown Charlevoix crosswalk
