Pitcairn Police Stepping Up Bicycle Safety Measures After 2 Accidents In A Week
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A 9-year-old girl is in the hospital with a broken leg after police say a car hit her while she was riding her bike.
It's the second bicycle accident in Pitcairn this week. The other resulted in minor injuries.
The driver involved in the crash with the 9-year-old is charged with causing serious bodily injury while driving without a license.
"We've got a lot of bikes going on within the borough," said Pitcairn Police Chief Scott Farally.
He says Center Avenue, where the two most recent accidents occurred, is of particular concern to him.
He says there are blind spots and that drivers go too fast. In fact, he wants to ask if the 25mph speed limit can be lowered.
But he's also planned something he's calling "Operation Smooth Bike."
It'll mean extra officers on certain nights that will be on foot patrols and will approach kids not wearing helmets or not riding safely.
"With the juveniles, we can actually stop them and maybe ID these juveniles," said Chief Farally. "Go take them back to their parents, speak to their parents and educate them."
He says he'll even cite kids if they're really out of control, but that's not the goal. He says it's about safety.
The chief says they do something to try to educate kids every summer about bike safety, but obviously, with two accidents in one week, it's now top of mind.
The law in Pennsylvania is that kids under 12 must wear a bike helmet.
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