'Flew out of nowhere': Cyclist pinned by SUV saved by passersby

A cyclist is in critical condition after an SUV rolled and then pinned her to the ground near Glenlawn Collegiate Wednesday morning.

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The crash happened just before 7:30 a.m. at St. Mary's Road and Fermor Avenue.

"She literally was doing nothing wrong. She was following the rules of the road and a car flew out of nowhere," said Kevin Harlow, a passerby who witnessed the crash.

Harlow said he saw the SUV crash into another car and then roll over onto its side. He said when he went to check on the driver he found the female cyclist wearing a helmet pinned underneath the SUV.

"She was unresponsive but appeared to be in shock." Harlow said about eight - 12 other drivers ran up to the SUV to roll it off the cyclist.

Passersby help driver

Meanwhile the driver of the tipped SUV was still inside and the vehicles airbags were deployed.

"She was hanging sort of upside down and at an angle," Harlow said adding a woman came to hold the driver's head up.

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Harlow said the group eventually got the SUV off the cyclist's legs but a passerby had to run and get a metal newspaper box to wedge underneath the SUV's rear to give the group holding the vehicle a break.

"If you can imagine a vehicle being flat on its side and a vehicle being on its roof it was somewhere in between that."

Debate about protected bike lanes

Harlow said the timing of the crash is ironic given a Tuesday debate at city hall over protected bike lanes.

Coun. Janice Lukes (South Winnipeg-St. Norbert) expressed concern Tuesday about delays to an adjustable grid of downtown bike lanes.

That prompted public works chair Marty Morantz (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Whyte Ridge)to suggest bike lanes do not protect cyclists from traffic accidents at intersections.