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Police hits cyclist then tickets him

An officer making a right on red failed to see an approaching cyclist on the sidewalk

April 25, 2019
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A police cruiser making a right on red in Fairfax, Virginia hit a cyclist in a crosswalk on Sunday. While getting hit by a vehicle is bad enough, the 55-year-old cyclist was brought to the local hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and then given a ticket by the officer who had struck him.


The incident was caught on the police cruiser dashcam and from a dashcam in another vehicle approaching the intersection. It shows the police cruiser stopped at the red light, inching into the crosswalk. The cyclist riding on the sidewalk has a pedestrian signal indicating it’s safe to cross the street and enters the crosswalk.

The officer at the wheel doesn’t see the cyclist and begins his right-hand turn directly into the cyclist sending him to the pavement hard. Trying to avoid the collision, the cyclist had swerved but failed to avoid the encroaching vehicle. The rider quickly gets back on his feet as the officer calls for an ambulance.

According to a statement on the department’s website, the cyclist was charged for his actions after being taken to the hospital by ambulance and treated for minor injuries.

“The cyclist was riding northbound on the sidewalk of the southbound side of Richmond Highway. He entered Fordson Road from the sidewalk without stopping and disregarded the pedestrian signal,” read a statement on the Fairfax Police Department website. “Our investigation shows the officer had the right of way and determined it was safe to enter the intersection when the cyclist came off the sidewalk and hit the cruiser.”

The cyclist, 55-year-old Thomas Crawley was charged with Fail to Pay Full Time and Attention.