NBC Los Angeles: Road Rage Prompted Collision, Says Injured Cyclist
Susanna Schick suffered a broken pelvis and several broken ribs after being hit by a car in downtown LA
By Vanessa Paz, and Angie Crouch | Tuesday, Apr 10, 2012
Cyclist Susanna Schick said a car swerved into her bike lane, she yelled at the passenger and the next thing she knew, she was bloody and unconscious on the side of the road.
Schick — who suffered multiple injuries, including a broken collarbone, six broken ribs and a shattered pelvis — is recovering in the hospital, according to cycling blog BikingInLA.
“Her helmet saved her life,” said Jennifer Beatty, Schick’s friend who heard a first-hand account of what happened.
Around 11:30 p.m. Friday, Schick, 42, was reportedly biking south on Spring Street between 3rd and 4th streets. She claimed a driver swerved through two lanes of traffic and then into the bike lane where she was riding.
“Schick’s friend Jennifer Beatty says “she swerved to avoid them, and obviously raised her voice to say ‘hey I’m here.’ They were stopped at the light at 2nd street, she tried to get their attention, but they rolled up their window and ignored her.” Beatty says Schick told her the driver of the Lexus started harassing her (Schick), and swerved toward her. Although Schick doesn’t remember the exact moment of the crash, she believes the car hit her rear tire causing her to lose control. The next thing she knew, she was face-down and unconscious on the street. The driver apparently fled the scene.
“It’s an ongoing problem,” said Ted Rogers, author of the blog BikeinLA.com. “On the Westside where I ride, I ran into a road-rage incident a week for about five weeks; there’s a lot of danger out there.”
