A dashcam rolling on South Congress last week captured a jarring moment when a silver sedan sliced into the bike lane and sent a commuter flying over its hood. The cyclist, Anthony Arredondo Jr., said he walked away with a few scratches and a sprained shoulder, while the rental bike he was riding was left badly damaged. Arredondo told reporters he is pressing charges and hopes the crash pushes the city to add more protection for people biking on SoCo.
According to FOX 7 Austin, dashcam video shows Arredondo heading north in the bike lane when a silver sedan turned right onto Mary Street and clipped the front-right of his bike, throwing him over the car’s hood. The station reports that the driver briefly stepped out to check on him, then got back in the car and drove off. Austin police have not yet identified the motorist. Adam Loewy, a personal-injury lawyer who has practiced in Austin for about two decades, told the outlet that drivers are expected to yield to cyclists just as they would to other cars and that leaving the scene could open the driver up to felony charges.
How the crash unfolded
The dashcam footage shows the sedan making a sharp right turn onto Mary Street as Arredondo rides in the bike lane; the impact looks sudden and leaves him almost no time to react. In the clip, he can be seen getting to his feet immediately after the collision, while the driver pulls over, briefly exits the vehicle, then leaves the scene. Arredondo estimated the cost to replace the damaged bike at about $6,000 and said he was riding a rental from Mellow Johnny’s on his way to work…