He's not dead yet, but critically injured
http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/story.asp?id=D65C19C1-A548-4C6B-BD11-B36C90A1E21A
Cyclist clings to life after being hit by bus
Part of transitway shut after accident
Nicholas Kohler
The Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, September 06, 2003
CREDIT: Jean Levac, The Ottawa Citizen
A bicycle driven by a man with no fixed address sits near the bus that struck it on the transitway yesterday afternoon. The cyclist is clinging to life after the accident. Skidmarks showed where the bus swerved to try to avoid the collision.
A 40-year-old man is clinging to life after he was struck by a bus when he darted onto the transitway near Sandy Hill on a bicycle.
An eastbound No. 38 Orléans bus struck the cyclist at about 5:10 p.m at a pedestrian crossing south of Mann Avenue.
"The driver saw the cyclist, hit the horn, hit the brakes. But it was unavoidable," said City of Ottawa spokesman Michael FitzPatrick.
He added that another driver going in the opposite direction also saw the cyclist in the moment before the collision and also feared hitting the man.
The cyclist was later transported to the Ottawa Hospital Civic campus, where he was being treated for critical injuries related to a skull fracture.
Police have not released the name of the man, who has no fixed address. Late last night, police were trying to locate his next-of-kin.
OC Transpo shut down a portion of the transitway after the accident, affecting service at Laurier, Lees and the University of Ottawa campus stations.
Ottawa police and OC Transpo are conducting parallel investigations into the accident.
"We're just investigating now," said Gord Diamond, Transpo director of transit, adding that it was premature to make a statement.
Late yesterday evening, the man's mangled bicycle lay on the grass next to the transitway, where police said it was moved by onlookers who had rushed to help after the accident.
Black skidmarks on the transitway showed where the bus had swerved before coming to rest in the westbound lane. The female driver was counselled by OC Transpo employee assistance program workers.
The driver was later escorted to a waiting OC Transpo cruiser through a corridor of yellow police tape attached to both sides of the bus door, hanging her head as she rushed through.
"The driver's very distraught," said Ottawa police Sgt. Patrick Walsh.
OC Transpo officials said that a passenger in the bus had stayed by the driver's side from the time of the accident until about two hours later -- a show of solidarity that prompted them to offer her counselling as well.
"I cross there every day to get to work," said Hélène Haddad, a passing cyclist.
Mr. FitzPatrick said that stretch of transitway is very busy, especially during rush hour. But he insisted that the system is still safe.
Yesterday's incident is the latest in a string of accidents for OC Transpo.
Last week, driver Lawrence Burt was fired after an accident that claimed the life of Chamin Appuhamy, an 18-month-old boy. The July 13 incident, which occurred in the eastbound bus lane of Highway 174, seriously injured Jude Appuhamy, the boy's father.
On July 19, the No. 86 Elmvale bus smashed into the Lees transitway station, injuring six passengers. Both incidents are still under investigation.