WATCH: The cycling community says a driver with the same vehicle description hit one of their members a month ago, in the same area. Isabelle Raghem reports.
As many gear up for the warmer season, a hit and run is sending chills throughout the cycling community.
“I’d been hit by a car,” 14-year-old Megan Barnes told Chek on Saturday, “but it didn’t feel the way I thought it would have felt. I guess there was so much adrenaline that I didn’t feel as much pain as I thought I would have felt.”
The promising teen was tossed off her bike and thrown into a ditch Friday afternoon, after a pick up reportedly hit her before speeding off.
Luckily, she walked away with a sore leg, a few cuts and a damaged bike.
“She doesn’t really understand the implications of being hit just yet,” says her father Darrell Barnes, “We definitely could have lost her that day.”
The story leading to numerous offers of replacement parts and bikes.
“The support we’re receiving from everybody is just amazing,” says Darrell Barnes.
But the story also caught the attention of other cyclists, reporting a similar experience in the same area, just a month ago.
“It was a truck of the same description,” says Megan’s coach Lister Farrar, “[It] was aggressive. Cut in front of us, jammed on the breaks hard, we thought it was deliberate. One of the rider bumped into the car and fell, the car sped away again.”
While a license plate was reported to RCMP, no arrests were made.
“We have to take action for these crazies because it skews the rest of the system,” adds the Tripleshot member, “you get everybody else deciding it’s not that big a deal. I can give them a little flick, push them a little closer.”
The owner of Trek bike shop says it happens more often then it should.
“My wife actually is six months after a car accident still not working from head injuries, she was hit by a driver downtown,” says Bill Fry, ” cars come super close, it feels like they’re brushing your ear lobe.”
Despite a few leads, Saanich police ask anyone with information to give them a call at 250-475-4321 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Isabelle Raghem
