pedestrian hit by car on Packard

The Michigan Daily is reporting that a student is in serious condition after being hit by a driver while walking in the bike lane on Packard St. A reprotedly elderly woman swerved across the road, striking the pedestrian, and then back across both lanes eventually running the car into a tree.

There are no details on how this all happened, and we won't be the ones to speculate. However, it is frighteningly similar to a crash that Urbana-Champaign Bicycle Commute reported about a woman who was downloading ringtones when she ran over a cyclist. That driver killed someone with their car through their own care(or reck)lessness and got ticketed for improper lane use.

As Ann Arbor works to develop the Share the Road educational program and we continue to expand our bike and pedestrian facilities, we wonder what role enforcement will play. Will AAPD and the courts consider this assualt with a deadly weapon or a minor driving error? Since this wasn't a cyclist, we thankfully will not have to endure inane inquiries into whether she was wearing a helmet when she was run over. However, we are not above making our own snarky inquiries as to whether the driver of the car was wearing one.

Be assured that we will keep on top of this story. We encourage anyone with more info to add it to the comments here. In the meantime our healing thoughts are with the victim.