Cyclist Seriously Injured in Dallas Car Wreck
As a DFW personal injury lawyer, I was saddened to hear of a local cyclist who was severely injured following a collision with a motorist in Dallas. Dallas Torres, 32, of Oak Cliff, was riding his bicycle along the Jefferson Boulevard viaduct last Saturday when the crash occurred. An off duty police officer was a witness to the wreck and immediately called in other emergency responders. Mr. Torres was rushed to Baylor University Medical Center to be treated for his injuries. According to Mr. Torres’ family, he broke his neck in three places after smashing through the vehicle’s windshield. He remains in hospital and doctors say it will likely take six month before he makes a full recovery with the aid of a lot of physical therapy.
My thoughts are with Mr. Torres and his loved ones. I know that the journey following such serious injuries in a long and difficult one, and I wish him as full and speedy recovery as possible.
This particular accident has gained the attention of avid bicyclists throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, not least because the section of road had been scheduled to have new bike lanes installed which would have drastically improved the safety of all bike riders and would likely have prevented this awful crash. Unfortunately, Dallas city planners put the safety feature on hold after they were unable to find the money necessary to paint the lanes.
Being an experienced auto accident attorney, I know just how valuable designated bicycle lanes are. Other cities which have implemented bike lanes have collected evidence that they do improve bicycle safety and reduce multi-vehicle collisions. After bike lanes were introduced in New York City, for example, the Mayor’s office did a study and found out that in areas where bike lanes were in use, crashes which resulted in injuries fell by 40 percent for all road users. In some areas, the study found that such wrecks were reduced by as much as 50 percent.
Designated bicycle lanes are key to ensuring the safety of North Texas cyclists. Bike riders have just as much to be on our roads as any other road user.
