A 69-year-old man visiting Las Cruces in order to volunteer with a local Habitat for Humanity build was struck by a vehicle Wednesday afternoon in a bizarre crash as he bicycled along Hadley Avenue.
The man, from Rapid City, S.D., was seriously injured in the crash and transported to University Medical Center of El Paso.
Las Cruces Police traffic investigators learned that the driver of a green Saturn sedan was traveling northbound on Solano Drive just before 3 p.m. when she apparently ran a red light at the intersection of Hadley Avenue. The Saturn, driven by 23-year-old Tonya Garcia of Las Cruces, struck a city-owned dump truck that was entering the intersection.
After striking the dump truck the Saturn veered left, traveled across the southbound lanes of Solano Drive and struck the bicyclist who was riding along Hadley Avenue approaching the intersection. The Saturn then jumped a curb and ended up smashing through a wooden fence.
The bicyclist was treated at the scene and then airlifted to El Paso.
Garcia had two passengers, a 9-year-old and a 10-month-old, in her vehicle but no serious injuries were reported. The driver of the dump truck also escaped injury.
No citations have been issued at this time as traffic investigators continue to probe the crash.