The woman, who is in her mid-20s, was pedaling up Main Street at about 4:15 p.m. when a box truck turned right onto Windsor Street and hit her, said Dan Riviello, a Cambridge Police Department spokesman.

She was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance with critical injuries, but police had no further details on her condition today. Police said she had been wearing a helmet.

Cme Johnson, who works at Stefani’s Pizzeria several yards from the accident, said police officers and ambulances swarmed the intersection and blocked traffic.

“There were all these flashing lights but it was hard to see what happened,” Johnson said in a brief telephone interview today. “There were so many police.”

Alexander C. Kaufman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @AlexCKaufman.

You know, if the Cambridge

By Eoin on Sat, 10/22/2011 - 12:55am.

You know, if the Cambridge City Council is going to put forth redundant proposals banning things that the state already deems illegal, how about an ordinance against right hooks? It seems that drivers who turn right without checking their mirrors represent just as much of an "extreme public safety hazard" as brakeless bikes, no?

Do you know that the driver

By anon on Sat, 10/22/2011 - 11:42am.

Do you know that the driver didn't check his/her mirrors? Before you damn the truck driver, maybe you should wait for the facts to come out. Not all truck drivers are out to get cyclists!

Unless the cyclist teleported

By J on Sat, 10/22/2011 - 4:57pm.

Unless the cyclist teleported under the truck, it's the drivers fault.

For one, right turns must be made as far right as possible...ie, the truck needs to merge right before beginning the turn. You cant merge until you yield.

Yes, it must be the driver's fault because

By roadman on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 3:53pm.

a cyclist attempted to pass a large truck on the right as they were both approaching an intersection.

Yes, it must be the driver's fault that the cyclist was in the driver's blind spot as the trucker started to make the right turn.

And, as has been stated in many other uHub posts, drivers legally cannot encroach on a bike lane for any reason - including preparing for a right turn. So, how do you expect the trucker to pull over to the far right in advance of their turn if that part of the roadway has been marked as a bike lane?

BZZZZZZT

By anon on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 4:46pm.

Wrong, wrong wrong.

Do you make right turns from the left lane? Really?

Wrong.

YES! It IS the driver's fault

By SwirlyGrrl on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 4:54pm.

If you find yourself in the left lane and want to make a right turn, what are your options?

1) stop, wait for the lane to clear. Then take a right.

2) demand that right lane traffic stop for your special entitled self and then take a right

3) just plow through - it doesn't matter who you kill because you are special.

You seem to think 3) is okay!

Guess what - IT ISN'T. Neither is #2.

If you need to cross a bike lane YOU WAIT FOR THE TRAFFIC TO CLEAR.

Just like any other travel lane, you have to wait your turn. Period. Your having an engine and the other road users NOT having engines MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. NONE! If anything, it means YOU have to use caution while operating heavy machinery.

The bike lane is a travel lane for bikes. Need to cross it? WAIT YOUR EFFING TURN. Simple simple simple.

And, as has been stated in

By J on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 5:51pm.

And, as has been stated in many other uHub posts, drivers legally cannot encroach on a bike lane for any reason - including preparing for a right turn. So, how do you expect the trucker to pull over to the far right in advance of their turn if that part of the roadway has been marked as a bike lane?

Wow, for someone with "road" in your name, you have not a clue about the law.

Drivers MUST enter the bike lane (legally) for a whole load of reasons...including right turns. Turns must be made as close to the curb as practical, and that included entering the bike lane.

Why do you think bike lanes are dashed near intersections?

You NEVER turn across an active lane of traffic. EVER. Bike lanes are an active lane of traffic, you merge into it and THEN turn.

If the truck was properly placed, the cyclist could never have passed on the right because there would have been no space.

Thank you both for the clarifications. It just goes to

By roadman on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 4:25pm.

prove how much misinformation is still out there regarding driver "dos and don'ts" regarding bike lanes, and how easily one can mistake inaccurate assumptions for accepted facts. The lack of information about specific driver "bike lane" actions in both the MGLs and on the MassBike page doesn't help either (in fact, the MassBike "Laws" link is totally useless, as it redirected me to the main Mass. General Laws page.)

And yes, I do recognize that a bike lane is the same as a general traffic lane, and treat it as such when driving. My comments were mainly prompted by the fact a large truck, and not a passenger vehicle, was involved in this incident, and were merely to provide alternative possibilites to the automatic "it must have been the driver's fault" response that's become all too common in recent uHub threads on cyclist accidents.

With all that having been said, I would never wish an incident like this on anybody, and hope the cyclist who was hit has a speedy recovery.

I completely agree that the

By J on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 3:15am.

I completely agree that the laws are confusing, and many times require reading multiple laws to get the full picture, and the website resources suck.

Also, many cyclists incorrectly believe that bike lanes = bike exclusive and get angry when a car enters the bike lane.

They are wrong.

You are correct that a large truck will have trouble turning starting off close the the curb, due to the turning radius. Unfortunately, that problem only gets solved the European way....no trucks on local streets. Use vans for deliveries.

Contact information is available at Boston Biker

http://bostonbiker.org/2011/10/26/help-a-fellow-cy...

Bicyclist critical after being hit by truck in Cambridge

Comments

Where does it say she's in

http://www.boston.com/Boston/metrodesk/2011/10/cyclist-struck-ca