Bicyclist 'extremely critical' after crash by Liberty Park

A bicyclist is in "extremely critical condition" after a car hit him near Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday.

Investigators are still trying to piece together what exactly happened, but a car and the man on the bike were traveling in perpendicular directions when they collided in the intersection of 700 E. 900 South about 4:41 p.m., said Salt Lake City Police Lt. Josh Scharman.

"The initial information from independent witnesses who were not involved in the crash is that the bicyclist rode through a red light," Scharman said.

The bicyclist was taken to a local hospital, while the two people in the car were not injured.

Scharman did not immediately know whether the bicyclist had been wearing a helmet, but he did not see one at the scene, where investigators were still reconstructing the crash Saturday evening. Scharman cautioned that the crash team's investigation will affect traffic as late as 8:30 p.m.

"Salt Lake City is a very bicycle friendly area and more people are choosing to [ride]... but that means more people are riding bicycles with the same high number of vehicle traffic," Scharman said. He urged everyone to be careful.

Mayor Ralph Becker declared 2013 "The Year of the Bike," the heart of which is to address "safe biking and following the rules of the road," said city spokesman Art Raymond in July. Cyclists are held to the same standards as motorists when it comes to the rules of the road. Both are vehicles, under Utah law.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mikeypanda