'Bullet bike' rider still critical nearly three weeks after crash

Nearly three weeks after crashing into the side of an SUV that had just run a red light, a 35-year-old Midvale man remained in critical condition Tuesday.

Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal said Marcelo Meirinho sustained severe head trauma when his "bullet bike" style motorcycle collided with a Ford Bronco driven by a 75-year-old man.

The crash occurred at the intersection at 900 East and Fort Union Boulevard when Meirinho was unable to stop in time to avoid the Bronco, which witnesses said had blown through the traffic signal the moment before.

Meirinho, a self-employed father of two, was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.

Neither the driver of the Bronco nor his wife, who was a passenger, was injured.

Charges were not immediately filed pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation. Hoyal said it typically takes "several weeks" for accident investigators to process a scene, though it appeared evident that the Bronco's driver had indeed run a red light.

remims@sltrib.com