Teenage cyclist suffers minor injuries in reported Windsor hit-and-run

A Windsor teenager suffered minor injuries Thursday when she was struck by a pickup while riding her bike in a crosswalk.

The driver did not stop. His truck was “bright blue” and older - possibly a Toyota Tacoma or Ford Ranger from the 1990s or early 2000s, said Allison Goodwin, whose daughter was hit.

The young woman, a 16-year-old sophomore at Windsor High, was riding with her 11-year-old sister on Windsor River Road shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday. They were traveling east, just about to cross under Highway 101.

The girls were on the sidewalk on the north side of the road. The blue pickup came down the southbound ramp at a high rate of speed, the teen later recalled, before stopping at the light. When the “walking person” signal lit up, the sisters began crossing the intersection. That’s when the 16-year-old, who was trailing her younger sister, was struck on her left leg and hip by the pickup truck, which was turning right on red.

The teenager was knocked to the ground. When the pickup didn’t stop, a motorist in the car behind it honked and waved his arms, said Goodwin, but the pickup accelerated west on Windsor River Road.

Goodwin believes the driver definitely saw her daughter, who recalled that he had signaled for her to go ahead and enter the intersection. While the driver probably didn’t intend to hit her, “he was super impatient, and his timing was off.”

The young woman was taken to the emergency room and X-rays were taken. Doctors at the hospital diagnosed a fractured pelvis, said Goodwin. After reviewing the X-rays, an orthopedic specialist told the family the next day that she might be suffering from a contusion, rather than a fracture.

Goodwin filed a report with Windsor police, who explained that because there are no video cameras trained on that part of the intersection, and because they have no license plate number to work with, their options are limited.

“Right now, we don’t really have anything at all” to go on, Windsor police Sgt. Dylan Fong said on Sunday, citing the “vague” description of the vehicle and the driver.

While her older daughter “seems to be OK,” Allison Goodwin is now more worried about the effect the incident may have on her 11-year-old, who witnessed it. “From an emotional standpoint, it was scary for both of them.”