A cyclist is being treated for serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle in Ottawa’s Alta Vista neighbourhood. Emergency crews responded to the collision on Haig Drive at Pleasant Park Drive at around 6:15 a.m. Thursday. “At this time, it is believed that the cyclist may have fallen off their bicycle before being struck by an oncoming vehicle,” police said in a statement. “Investigators would like to speak with anyone who may not have spoken to officers on scene or who may have dash camera footage in the area around the time of the incident.” Ottawa Paramedic Service spokesperson Marc-Antoine Deschamps told CTV News Ottawa that paramedics treated a male cyclist for “very serious injuries,” and he was transported to the hospital in critical condition. On Thursday afternoon, police said the victim was listed in serious but stable condition. While the full details of the collision are not yet known, cycling safety advocates say situations like this can be avoided. “Without knowing the specifics, all I can say is cycling in segregated cycling infrastructure would make things better,” says Florence Lehmann, a member at large with Bike Ottawa. “In this particular case, if the person had fallen in a segregated bike lane for example, they would have fallen away from traffic and they would be probably just mildly injured.” Lehmann says while the city must continue to build a better road network, residents must also push officials to continually raise awareness. “The city should strive for a Vision Zero approach which is no matter what, there are no there are no deaths on our roads. Period. Regardless of your mode of travel, for people biking and even walking,” says Lehmann. “While the city must work inside the confines of provincial legislation, permanent traffic calming measures on wider streets to help slow traffic would be a great benefit.” Roads were closed in the area of Pleasant Park Drive and Haig Drive Thursday morning for the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service’s Collision Investigations Unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 2345. With files from CTV’s Tyler Fleming.
