A Grand Valley State University student was released from the hospital Tuesday after suffering head and neck injuries from being struck by a vehicle while biking across an intersection on the Allendale Campus. The student was struck by a Ford van traveling southbound on South Campus Drive.

According to witness reports, the biker, who was riding from Kirkhof Center on the sidewalk, did not come to a complete stop at the intersection before riding into the crosswalk. The biker told police a bus, which was traveling north on South Campus Drive, was obstructing his vision, preventing him from seeing the oncoming van until it was too late for him to speed up and avoid the collision. Witnesses said the driver of the van did not have time to stop and was not at fault in the accident. The biker, who was not wearing a helmet, was transported to the hospital with head injuries.

Traffic law dictates that bikers, who have the same rules and responsibilities as pedestrians, have the right of way at a crosswalk if the driver has a chance to make a complete stop.

“We always encourage our students to make sure they stop before walking out into the crosswalk and to make sure traffic is clear in both directions,” said Capt. Brandon DeHaan, assistant director of the Department of Public Safety. “Students should not just assume the driver of the motor vehicle can see them and is going to stop for them.”

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