UPDATED 4:05 p.m.
URBANA — An Urbana bicyclist remained hospitalized Friday with serious injuries she received after being hit by an impaired driver in Urbana Thursday evening.
Urbana police Lt. Bryant Seraphin said Lindsey Snell, 24, of the 400 block of Oregon Street, was riding her bicycle near Oregon and Coler when she was hit by a car that was headed south on Coler.
The driver of the car, Case Freeman, 25, of the 1600 block of West Park Avenue, Champaign, was charged Friday with aggravated driving under the influence of intoxicating compounds and is scheduled to be back in court July 10. Judge Richard Klaus set his bond on the felony charge at $500,000.
Seraphin said witnesses told police that about 5:35 p.m., Snell and a male friend were riding their bicycles side by side south on Coler and were about to turn east onto Oregon Street. Seraphin said the male bicyclist was slightly ahead of Snell and made the turn. Snell was struck by Freeman’s car as she was about to turn.
She hit Freeman’s windshield and fell to the pavement. She was not wearing a helmet, Seraphin said.
Freeman’s car continued on south for about two blocks to the T-intersection with Washington Street. His car went into a lot at 701 W. Washington St. and crashed into a tree.
He got out and was walking unsteadily back to the north and made it about a block before collapsing and having what appeared to be seizure-like symptoms, Seraphin said.
When police arrived, they found the injured Snell near Coler and Oregon, an unresponsive Freeman about a block south and the crashed car another block away.
Seraphin said a search of Freeman’s car turned up several bottles of cold medication, leading to his arrest for aggravated DUI. He was taken to jail Thursday night after having blood and urine samples drawn and being treated for his condition at Carle Foundation Hospital.
Snell was listed in critical condition at Carle Friday.
That's a shame and I hope the cyclist recovers. The intersection of Oregon and Coler is a 4-way stop, and it's hard to tell from the news story whether any of the people involved actually stopped. Obviously, driving under the influence is wrong, but I've also seen cyclists blow right through stop signs. This could easily get lethal if you add an impaired or distracted driver to that mix.
The cyclist did nothing wrong, based on the reports, and appears to have no culpability in this crash. The police issued citations to the driver alone. Cyclists break the law sometimes just a drivers of cars do, but to assume that the cyclist bears blame is wrong. This was a horrific crash caused entirely by someone who should not be driving a car.
My sincerest best wishes to the family and young woman who was hit. I hope she can recover.
Get a clue independent voter. In case you missed it, the cyclists did nothing wrong, were not cited by the police for running any Stop sign, and the driver was under the influence of drugs. Put the blame where it belongs and if you want to gripe about cyclist misbehavior do it someplace that is appropriate. A young woman is fighting for her life because of some idiot who should not have been driving. She did nothing wrong.
I have known the bicyclist since KinderGarden. My sister is one of her good friends. I found out through the cyclist's sister, She is in a rehab facility, some where in the state can't say where for Confidentiality purposes. My sister's friend went to visit her and said she is up and walking now. She has short term memory problems. She is expected to leave some time in July. That is all I know.
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