Driver of pickup that hit bicyclist cited

Redmond police on Wednesday said they will cite a drive who hit a bicyclist earlier this week, an impact that left the bicyclist with severe head injuries.

The accident happened around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Redmond police spokesman Jim Bove said.

A Kirkland man, 43, was commuting to work on his bicycle in the bike lane along the 14400 block of Old Redmond Way when a pickup truck made a right turn in front of him. He was wearing a helmet, though the impact left him with a punctured lung and injuries to his eyes and head.

He remains at Harborview Medical Center in stable condition, though he is unable to speak with detectives investigating the accident, Bove said.

There was no evidence that the driver of the pickup, a 48-year-old man from University Place in Pierce County, was impaired in any way.

Police said Wednesday they would be issuing him a citation for inattentive driving, a civil infraction.

The pickup driver was visibly upset after the accident, police said. Apparently, the driver was unfamiliar with the area and was making the right turn so he could turn around and come back the way he had just driven, Bove said.

There have been at least three accidents involving bicyclists in the past month, Bove said. Tuesday's was the most serious to date and he cautioned drivers to keep an eye out for bike riders.

"Whether you are driving a vehicle or riding a bike, it's important to be aware of your surroundings, especially this time of the year when there are more bicycles on the road," he said.