Bicyclist Injured and Cited Following Collision with Vehicle at Apple Valley Intersection
APPLE VALLEY, MINNESOTA — A bicyclist received minor injuries and a citation following a collision with a vehicle at the intersection of Pilot Knob Road and 155th Street West on Sunday, August 18, 2024, at approximately 1:04 PM. The crash involved a motorized bicycle and a car, prompting a response from the Apple Valley Police Department, Apple Valley Fire Department, and Allina Health Medics.
According to the police report from the Apple Valley Police, the bicyclist was traveling southbound on the northbound sidewalk of Pilot Knob Road. The bicyclist proceeded through the intersection using the crosswalk without checking the pedestrian walk signal. At the time of the incident, northbound and southbound motor vehicle traffic had a green light. The driver of the vehicle was stopped in the right turn lane of westbound 155th Street West, preparing to turn right onto northbound Pilot Knob Road. The driver looked left, observing northbound vehicle traffic, and began accelerating when the bicyclist entered the intersection. The vehicle struck the bicyclist, knocking the rider off the bike. Thankfully, the bicyclist was reported to have been wearing a helmet.
Crash scene sketch from the Apple Valley Police report.
The vehicle driver reported that the bicyclist had a solid red stop signal. The bicyclist stated that they believed motor vehicle law applied to them, following the green traffic light rather than the pedestrian signal. Witnesses at the scene confirmed that the bicyclist was traveling at high speed on the sidewalk and that the vehicle driver was focused on the traffic to the left.
Responding officers investigated and revealed that the stop signal for the pedestrian crosswalk was solid red throughout the entire traffic light cycle and did not change to the walk signal. The pedestrian walk signal, indicated by a solid white outline of a pedestrian, can only be activated by pressing a button at the intersection. The bicyclist admitted that she did not push the walk signal button. As a result of the investigation, the bicyclist was cited for entering the crosswalk on a solid or flashing "Don't Walk" signal.
Written by: Will Wight