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Bicyclist Struck by Truck in Inner Sunset Suffers Life-Threatening Leg Injury

A bystander EMT applied a tourniquet to a cyclist's leg on Irving Street after she was struck by a large truck, potentially saving her life.

Lisa Park2 min read
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Bicyclist Struck by Truck in Inner Sunset Suffers Life-Threatening Leg Injury
Source: sfist.com

A female bicyclist suffered life-threatening injuries Friday afternoon when she was struck by a large truck at Irving Street near 7th and 8th avenues in the Inner Sunset, with quick action from bystanders — including an off-duty EMT who applied a tourniquet to her leg — credited with potentially saving her life.

San Francisco police officers responded just after 3 p.m. to the collision and located the female victim at the scene. The San Francisco Fire Department described her injuries to KRON4 as "traumatic," and she was transported to a nearby hospital. According to accounts shared on Reddit and reported by SFist, the bicyclist is expected to survive but faces a long recovery. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, which issued a press release responding to the crash, said it was "cautiously grateful for unconfirmed reports that she has survived, though surely with a long road to recovery."

The driver of the striking vehicle remained at the crash site and is cooperating with investigators, according to SFPD. Police said driving under the influence is not believed to be a factor, and the investigation into what caused the collision remains ongoing. No charges or arrests have been reported. The case is being tracked under SFPD case number #260128153.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition described the vehicle as a "large truck" and characterized the resulting harm as "massive bodily injury." SFPD and KRON4 referred to the striking vehicle more generically as a "vehicle."

The collision drew sharp condemnation from the Bicycle Coalition, which placed it in an alarming recent pattern of traffic violence citywide. "This collision marks the fourth reported crash resulting in death or serious injuries within a week," the organization stated in its press release. The group cited the killing of a two-year-old on February 27 as she crossed the street with her mother, as well as two pedestrian fatalities the Chronicle reported occurring within 12 hours of each other — one in North Beach, where a vehicle was reversing down a one-way street, and a hit-and-run in Outer Mission. Both of those streets are part of San Francisco's High Injury Network, a designation identifying corridors with disproportionate rates of severe crashes.

"All collisions are preventable with slower streets and better infrastructure that reduce or eliminate conflicts between cars and vulnerable road users," the Bicycle Coalition wrote. "These strategies have proven to save lives, but they require action and accountability from our elected officials."

Irving Street near 7th Avenue sits in the heart of the Inner Sunset, a commercial and residential corridor heavily used by cyclists, pedestrians, and Muni riders. The intersection does not appear on any current protected bike lane project, though the city's Vision Zero initiative has long identified similar corridors as priorities for intervention.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact SFPD at (415) 575-4444 and reference case number #260128153.

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