A bicyclist suffered non life-threatening injuries after a collision with a vehicle on Lincoln Street at Washington Avenue in Hoquiam Monday night.

Hoquiam Police and Fire were called to the scene around 10:15 p.m. and “found the 45-year-old Hoquiam man laying on the pavement covered with a blanket tended by the driver of the vehicle and other motorists,” said Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers. The cyclist “had suffered visible injuries” and was taken to Grays Harbor Community Hospital.

“According to the driver of the involved vehicle, he was on Washington Avenue moving slowly forward to the intersection with Lincoln Street so he could see any approaching traffic,” said Myers. “Apparently, the bicyclist appeared from the driver’s left at a fast rate and struck the front of his vehicle.”

There was a scrape and dent on the hood of the car, likely caused by the bicycle’s handlebars as the bicyclist went down from the impact with the front of the car, said Myers. During the investigation, officers determined the bicyclist was not using the required headlight and rear red light in order to be riding during the hours of darkness. The bicyclist was also not wearing a bike helmet, said Myers.

“Hoquiam officers frequently contact bicyclists at night as lights are required during the hours of darkness,” said Myers. “This is not only state law, but also an important safety feature to be visible to other traffic. In any car versus bicycle collision, the bicyclist will almost always suffer the worst of injuries in the impact.”

Although bike helmets are only required in Hoquiam for children under age 18, bike helmets have been shown to drastically reduce the likelihood of a traumatic head injury in a bicycle collision, said Myers.