A juvenile riding a bicycle was rushed to the hospital this morning after an accident involving a car at the corner of West Shore Drive and Shorewood Road. The juvenile was not wearing a helmet.
The car was turning from West Shore onto Shorewood at 7:45 a.m. when it collided with the cyclist. Police Chief Dennis King tells the Current that the juvenile’s injuries were minor. The driver is not being cited.
King said he remembers another car/bicycle accident on West Shore within the last year. It is a very busy area during school drop-off hours.
“Since I’ve been here we’ve done a lot of selective enforcement for speeding,” King said. “There is a speed feedback sign by the Tower School and by the cemetery [on West Shore Drive].” King pointed out speeding was not a factor in this morning’s incident.
King is advocating for more rapid flashing beacons to be placed around town. There’s one now at the corner of Atlantic and Seaview.
“It gets drivers’ attention,” he said. “They’re a good way to warn drivers, to have people stop and recognize that they’re crossing in a crosswalk. We’ll be asking for some of those in the next budget.
“It would also be nice if kids were wearing helmets and adhering to traffic rules.”
A bike safety rodeo is being planned by the Marblehead Police and Health Department later this fall.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
