Ottawa paramedics are confirming at least three minor collisions involving cyclists between 7 a.m. and 8:30a.m., Monday.
The first incident took place where Hunt Club Road intersects with Merivale Road. Paramedics say a male cyclist was treated for minor back injuries as traffic volume started building around 7 a.m.
The third run-in with a cyclist is being reported at the intersection of Hunt Club Road and Prince of Wales Drive at 8:30a.m. A man in his 50s is said to have gashes from the crash. The injuries are also considered minor and he did not have to be taken to hospital.
However, it is the second reported incident sparking a conversation about downtown segregated bike lanes on Laurier Street.
A reddit user whose online profile name is “Klimmit” posted an image showing the collision scene on Laurier Avenue between Kent and Bank Street. Paramedics say the crash happened at 8:04 a.m. and that a man in his 30s was taken to hospital with injuries to the lower part of his body.
A car just plowed through a couple cyclists to get to the parking garage on Laurier St. No one seems too badly injured. from r/ottawa
Klimmit describes the crash as a car plowing through a couple of cyclists to get to the parking garage. Many are commenting on the post and taking note of the truck parked near the entrance of the parking garage likely creating a blind spot for the driver. Police say the investigation is ongoing.
I witnessed and called 911 for the incident at Laurier and Kent. A car turned left from Laurier into a parking garage, hitting a cyclist going eastbound in the bike lane. There was also a truck in a no-parking zone that could have been blocking the view. pic.twitter.com/ix7d6fIF1W
— Katie Stewart (@KtStuu) October 7, 2019
Still, Ottawa’s cycling community have cited many concerns about the cycling infrastructure on Laurier.
Laurier Avenue is where 23-year-old Nusrat Jahan lost her life on September 1, 2016. Her death sparked a safety audit shortly after. It is also the same stretch of road that saw a cyclist fatality in May of this year.
According to City of Ottawa statistics, there are several spots along Laurier resulting in a high number of collisions annually.
Ottawa police say they are looking into a fourth incident with a cyclist on Constellation Drive around 7:45 a.m. Police say the person was injured after being struck by an object that flew off a vehicle. The injuries are not considered serious.
