Update 2/3/16: This article has been updated to reflect new information from Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Officer Jennifer Coats and Lt. Dan Montgomery.
A vehicle struck a female cyclist at the intersection of Fulton Street and Bancroft Way on Tuesday evening, leaving the cyclist with life-threatening injuries, according to Berkeley Police Department Lt. Dan Montgomery.
The driver, Berwick Haynes — a 47-year-old male from Sunnyvale, California — was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to a statement from BPD spokesperson Officer Jennifer Coats. As of 7 p.m. Wednesday, the victim remains in critical condition.
Both the cyclist, a 42-year-old Berkeley resident, and the vehicle had been heading southbound on Fulton Street when they collided about 4:58 p.m., pinning the cyclist underneath the vehicle. Berkeley Fire Department officials arrived on scene within two minutes of the incident to extricate the victim. They immediately rushed her to the hospital to treat her serious injuries, Montgomery said.
BPD called out its fatal accident investigation team to further inspect the collision, according to Montgomery. The driver of the vehicle and several witnesses remained on scene to assist with the ongoing investigation.
At 6:19 p.m. Tuesday, BPD sent out an alert advising avoidance of Fulton Street between Bancroft Way and Kittredge Street, where BPD officers were directing traffic.
Ten reported bicycle-vehicle collisions occurred at the intersection of Fulton Street and Bancroft Way from 2001-14, according to California Highway Patrol data. In total, BPD’s jurisdiction has seen about 2,200 bicycle collisions in this time frame, accounting for nearly 25 percent of all accidents in the city.
In Berkeley, about 9.7 percent of employed residents commute via bicycle — about five times the Bay Area average, according to a 2014 American Community Survey. Despite its active cycling community, the city has not updated the Berkeley Bicycle Plan, a project to increase the safety and convenience of cycling in the city, since 2005. Draft recommendations for an updated plan, however, will be presented at public meetings in spring.
BPD is still investigating Tuesday’s collision, according to Montgomery.
Check back for updates.