A pickup truck driver and the parents of a 12-year-old cyclist have both been charged following a collision in Waterloo, Ont. earlier this week, according to CTV News.
The collision happened Tuesday morning, when the cyclist was riding to school.
Paramedics took the rider to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The 46-year-old Waterloo driver was not injured, police said
In a bit of a plot twist, police also charged the child’s parents. Cops alleged they allowed a rider under 16 to use a bicycle without a proper helmet, as required under Ontario law.
On Thursday, the Waterloo Regional Police Service said the driver has been charged with operating a vehicle with an obstructed view and making an unsafe turn.
Don’t tell me the cyclist wasn’t wearing a helmet
David Shellnutt, a.k.a. The Biking Lawyer, commented on the incident. “
“We think that the Waterloo Regional Police Service ticketing the parents was needlessly punitive. Yes, kids should always wear helmets on their bikes, but in this case, I am certain given the serious injuries sustained by the child, the parents have learnt this hard lesson,” Shellnutt said. “Rubbing salt in the wound by ticketing the parents does nothing to advance the safety of vulnerable road users in Waterloo Region.”
Shellnutt then asked why the driver was not charged with Careless Driving Causing Bodily Harm for running over and seriously injuring a child. “Why the lax charges against a driver that ran over a child on their way to school?”
According to reports, the investigation remains ongoing.