Bicyclist injured in Avenue C crash, Yuma police investigate path into car

A bicyclist was injured Saturday morning in a crash on Avenue C in Yuma, placing new attention on one of the city’s busiest stretches and how it works for people on bikes and in cars.

The collision happened before 6:40 a.m. in the 2100 block of Avenue C near the Central Drain, according to the Yuma Police Department. Police said a 20-year-old woman was driving a Honda Civic southbound on Avenue C when a 36-year-old man riding a bicycle, also southbound, veered out of the bike lane and into the car.

The bicyclist was taken first to Onvida Health and then flown to a Phoenix-area hospital because of the severity of his injuries. By Sunday, police said he was listed in stable condition.

The investigation remains open, and police have not said what caused the bicyclist to leave the bike lane. That detail matters on Avenue C, where morning traffic, commuters and people on bicycles often share the same corridor. A crash there can ripple beyond one intersection, affecting traffic flow and raising broader concerns about visibility, lane separation and whether drivers and cyclists have enough room to react in the early morning hours.

Avenue C is a major route through Yuma, and a serious injury crash on that roadway is more than a one-off disruption. It is the kind of incident that resonates with residents who bike to work, school or stores and who depend on streets that are predictable and clearly marked. The need for both local emergency care and air transport also shows how quickly a routine commute can turn into a medical emergency.

Yuma police are asking anyone with information to contact the department or call 78-CRIME anonymously as detectives continue to sort out exactly how the bicyclist entered the path of the Honda Civic. The case remains under investigation.