CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A bicyclist who was struck by a vehicle over the weekend is now out of the hospital and is speaking out about what happened.
The accident happened Saturday morning on Shoreline Boulevard and Lawrence Street. Police said a red car driving in the same direction did not check to see if anyone was coming when he turned onto the Lawrence Street T-head and ran into the cyclist.
Allen Price said he was riding in a group, training for Iron Man Galveston coming up in two weeks. He said that if he had not been wearing his helmet, it could have been much worse.
"My visor is what saved me from losing my nose," Price said.
What started as a routine morning for Price quickly turned into a ride he will not soon forget.
"Hit the car at an angle, supermanned over the hood," Price said. "I knew when I was coming down I was going to land on my face."
Price said he is thankful he is here today. He said he was going about 20 miles per hour when he was struck.
"I have road rash on both hands, my right arm, both knees," Price said.
His injuries also included eight stitches across his chin.
"Had I not been wearing a helmet, this would have been a different situation," Price said.
The driver of the vehicle who struck him was cited for causing the crash. Price believes the driver made an honest mistake, but while in the hospital browsing social media he found a story about the accident, and said the comments from the public were pretty nasty.
"People accused me of doing something wrong. I was in a bike lane. Even if I was in the road, I was still legal," Price said. "He turned without signaling."
Price said he hopes to change the way some drivers think.
"I've had eggs thrown at me, I've had people buzz me with their cars honking their horns, trying to scare us. I don't know why people think we don't have a right to be on the road. We have every right to be on the road," Price said. "Plus when you have a 4,000 pound vehicle against a 160 pound man on a bicycle, why take that chance? So often in the city this happens."
Price said the accident will not deter him from getting back on his bike. In fact, he was already at Bay Area Bicycles Monday looking to get his bike repaired and ordering new gear and a helmet.
"The most important thing is to protect your head. You got to have a good helmet on," Price said. "The helmet did exactly what it was designed to do."
He also had some advice for drivers.
"Drivers, if you are coming up on a cyclist, give them three feet minimum or more," Price said. "Why take the chance?"