At around 8:10 a.m. yesterday morning (Feb. 20), a woman riding a bicycle was hit at the corner of North Mulberry Street and Monument Avenue in Richmond. The bicyclist was riding west on Monument when a car heading southbound on Mulberry struck her and dragged her 15 feet through the intersection.

The bike involved in the accident. Credit: NBC12

The driver of the Honda CR-V reportedly stopped at the stop sign and couldn’t see the bicyclist because the sun was in her eyes. The bicyclist was reported to have been following the rules of the road.

WTRV6.com first reported that a couple of witnesses were able to push the SUV off the bicyclist, who was pinned underneath.

“They managed to actually push the vehicle up a little bit and slide the bicyclist out and the ambulance and police arrived on scene,” said Sgt. David Selander with the Richmond Police.

“I think it’s kind of miraculous that those people were there and responded like that,” said Julian Pozzi, who lives in the Fan.

The Sports Backers’ Director of Bike Walk RVA, Max Hepp-Buchanan, released this statement yesterday after the accident:

“While traffic collisions happen, poor street design has a played role here,” said Max Hepp-Buchanan, Director of Bike Walk RVA for the Sports Backers. “Cars parking too closely to the corners of the intersection have created inadequate sight-lines for anyone trying to make their way across Monument Avenue, regardless of their mode of travel. This condition is not unique to the intersection of Monument and Mulberry – it exists all over the Fan and Museum District. Something needs to be done to fix this situation.”

“The last thing we want is for this to happen again,” said Sports Backers Executive Director Jon Lugbill. “We can build a better environment for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists alike. It’s time for real bicycle infrastructure in Richmond that makes riding feel comfortable and that offers people a safe way to navigate the city.”