Toronto cyclist makes narrow escape after being hit by truck

“Thankfully, our client survived this horrific ordeal and is recovering,” he wrote on Instagram, before confirming to Now Toronto that the truck driver has been charged for disobeying a sign that prohibited right-hand turns at the intersection, and for turning across a lane of traffic without yielding the right of way.

“Motorists simply don’t respect the bike lanes. Either they park in them or they turn across them without checking to make sure the lane is clear,” Shellnut said.

While his client escaped with injuries, earlier that day, a 24-year-old cyclist was hit and killed by a dump truck in the same bike lane.

Following two accidents in the same spot, Shellnutt called on the city to crack down on reckless driving and to design safer bike lanes.

“What we want here is the city to put in a bike lane all the way up to the intersection. Look at the protected intersection model for this place, it’s probably the busiest bike lane in the city,” Shellnut continued.

People online were largely in agreement with Shellnut’s remarks.

“That driver made his right turn while going quite fast. No wonder these accidents (and deaths) occur. He should lose his licence,” one Instagram user wrote.

“It looks as though this person didn’t even bother to check the mirrors or blind spots, bike lanes or crosswalk,” another person commented.

“I’ve been saying it for years, we need protected bike lanes, at the same level as the sidewalk.

Nothing makes sense in this city. Infrastructures need to be updated,” someone else said.