Lincoln City Police Respond to Pedestrian and Bicycle Crashes

Lincoln City police are investigating two separate crashes on Highway 101 that left a pedestrian and a bicyLclist injured after vehicles pulled out of private driveways into traffic.

In the first crash, near the Wildflower Grill, police say around 1:30 pm they were called to a report of a driver leaving the restaurant and attempted to turn south onto Highway 101 and collided with a northbound vehicle.

Sgt Burke with Lincoln City Police noted “The suspect vehicle was pulling out from Wildflower Grill and was attempting to turn onto Highway 101, believed he looked left, right, left, right, and thought he had an opening, which he did not.

When the two vehicles hit, they spun, and one of them struck a pedestrian in the leg, knocking him to the ground. Police said there were no other injuries to the drivers. The pedestrian was taken to Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital. The driver who pulled out of the Wildflower Grill parking lot was cited for careless driving with an accident.

In a separate incident around 3:30pm police were again called to a traffic collission near the Inn at Spanish Head, investigation showed a driver leaving the parking lot across from Inn at Spanish Heard pulled onto Highway 101 and hit a bicyclist riding on the east-side sidewalk.

“The involved vehicle was exiting the Inn at Spanish Head parking lot, believed he cleared left and right and attempted to pull out onto the highway,” Sgt Burke said. As the driver moved onto the highway, “a bicycle that was being ridden on the eastbound sidewalk came in front of him, and he hit the bicyclist.” He reminds that bicyclists are required to ride in the roadway and ride in the same direction as traffic and follow the same laws as vehicles.

The driver was not hurt. The bicyclist, was transported to Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital. No citation was issued to the driver in the Inn at Spanish Head crash. Burke said both crashes appear to involve drivers pulling out of private driveways into Highway 101 traffic and not seeing people in their path.

Both drivers appeared to do what they were supposed to do in looking first before pulling out into traffic. Sgt Burke reminds that during summer months we see not only more traffic, but more pedestians and bicylists. Drivers are reminded to watch carefully for pedestrians and bicyclists. Those peddling or walking are reminded to make eye contact with drivers, and wear visible clothing and have proper lighting.