Accident happened around 1 p.m. near SIU Recreation Center

An SIUC student was riding his bike Wednesday afternoon and was struck by an SIUC Transit car.

The car, a white ’98 Dodge neon, was heading east on Grand Avenue. The car turned left onto Washington Street and struck the bicyclist who was also heading east on Grand Avenue.

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The bicyclist, who wishes to remain anonymous, suffered no injuries but his bike was a little banged up. The bike’s chain came off and the front brakes snapped.

“Good ol’ Schwinn,” said Officer Mark Wilson. “Made out of steel, buddy. They take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.”

“That’s a good bike!” said Angela Minor, a witness.

The transit driver, who also wishes to remain anonymous, was on his first run of the day.

“There was a car already blocking the road. Neither of us could see,” the driver said. “He tried to stop and I tried to stop but we couldn’t because we were going too fast.”

Both the biker and the driver are OK. The damage to the transit car was a small dent in the front driver-side fender.

“I’ve never had an accident,” the driver said. “Three years I’ve driven cars and six years on a motorcycle. This is my first.”

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Both men involved in the accident said the police said they were both at fault. The bicyclist was cited for two violations:one for $15 for riding on the sidewalk and another warning to register his bike. The driver wasn’t cited at all.

“We were yelling ‘Watch out!’ She [Angela] grabbed my arm and I pressed on my brakes like it was me,” said a witness, Erica.

“We saw him do a somersault over the hood,” Minor said.

The biker said that luckily, his body just knew how to fall.

“Tuck ‘n’ roll,” he said.

Another witness, Nhemya Ward, said she thought they were both at fault and they were both going really fast.

“The bicyclist was going full-speed from the train tracks,” Ward said.

In the end, the biggest inconvenience for both the driver and the biker was the wait for the police.

“I’m glad he’s OK,” the driver said.

Both the driver and the biker shook hands afterward and bid each other adieu. The biker hopped on his black Schwinn and road away, his front tire gently squeaking.

Reporter Arin Thompson can be reached at [email protected]