Bicyclist Struck By SMART Train

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — UPDATED: Santa Rosa police identified a bicyclist who was struck by a SMART train at the West Steele Lane crossroad in Santa Rosa Thursday afternoon as 19-year-old Austin McClure of Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Vanessa DeGier said McClure is in fair condition this morning.

McClure was riding a bicycle east on West Steele Lane around 4 p.m. when he collided with the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit commuter train, police said. McClure was wearing earphones while talking on a cell phone and apparently did not notice the rail crossing arms were down or the approaching train.

The train's operator saw the bicyclist and applied the train's brakes but could not stop in time, police said. The train was traveling about 30 mph, police said.

McClure was thrown between 20 and 30 feet in the air, and the bicycle became lodged under the train's right wheel, police said.

The incident was the first involving a pedestrian/bicyclist or vehicle collision with a SMART train since full service between Santa Rosa and San Rafael began in August.

By Bay City News Service

Photo by Al Francis/Napasonomaphotos.com