A teenage girl riding a bicycle was hit by a Metro bus in front of the Santa Monica Public Library Sunday afternoon.
The Notre Dame High School student survived but suffered a broken jaw and has been transported to a local hospital, her family said. An experienced bicyclist, she was on her way to an event in the library and was riding in the bike lane when the bus struck her. She was conscious when Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) officers arrived at the scene at about 2 p.m., said Lt. Saul Rodriguez.
The collision follows a hit and run in Ocean Park Friday night. A 41-year-old-man was riding a personally owned electric scooter along 3rd Street when he fell off and was hit by a driver, who fled the scene before first responders arrived. The man died after being transported to a local hospital.
Santa Monica saw an uptick in traffic fatalities and accidents in 2016 – nine people died, up from an average of four to five each year – but zero people died in traffic collisions in 2017. Still, 40 percent of residents feel uncomfortable navigating city streets, according to a recent City of Santa Monica survey.
The City launched a Vision Zero road safety initiative in 2016, following cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, branding the campaign with the slogan “Take the Friendly Road.” City planners have been making changes to intersections, bike lanes and crosswalks, as well as deploying citywide safety advertising, to reduce collisions, with a goal of zero fatalities by 2026.
Correction: The original version of this article incorrectly stated the cyclist attends Santa Monica High School. In fact, she attends Notre Dame High School.
madeleine@smdp.com
