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Hamilton cops ticketed teenager in hospital who was hit by motorist

David Shellnutt is calling out police for actions

Hamilton road where a teenager was hit by a motorist Photo by: @cycletherapyHam
April 14, 2023
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Hamilton, police gave a teenager a ticket in hospital after he was hit by a motorist on Monday. David Shellnutt, a.k.a. The Biking Lawyer, is criticizing the cops for their actions.

On an Instagram post, he explained the incident. The 16-year-old boy was riding his on a sidewalk before entering a crosswalk at the intersection of King St. East and Quigley Rd. in Stoney Creek on Monday afternoon. The boy was riding on the sidewalk as he didn’t feel safe on the road.

Shellnutt fully admitted that riding the sidewalk goes against the city’s bylaws, but he feels the ticket was not the best route.

“Rather than using this as a teaching moment, Hamilton police blamed the young cyclist and ticketed them,” Shellnutt said.“This cyclist had turned 16 less than a month ago (the legal age limit for riding on a sidewalk in Hamilton is 14) but still didn’t feel safe riding on the road.

He said the situation could have been handled much better.

A Toronto cyclist was ticketed for going 26 in a 20 km/h zone


“Rather than use this as a teaching moment, Hamilton Police blamed the young cyclist and ticketed them. It’s unclear if the motorist who hit the cyclist in the crosswalk was ticketed for their role in the collision. Certainly, in a civil claim blame could extend both ways.”

“He was at the hospital with his mom getting X-rays,” Shellnut said to BlogTO. As this was happening, a police officer came up and gave the teenager the ticket.

Hamilton police spokesperson Indy Bharaj told CHCH News that the driver who hit the young man was not ticketed.