Ontario cops ticket injured teenage cyclist at hospital after he was hit by a car

A teenager biking through a Stoney Creek crosswalk was struck by a car, only to be ticketed by Hamilton police hours later while seeking treatment at a local hospital.

Personal injury lawyer David Shellnutt shared details of the confusing situation on Twitter, posting a redacted photo of the ticket that has since attained viral status.

Shellnutt tells blogTO that the 16-year-old cyclist struck was indeed in error, cycling on a sidewalk before entering a crosswalk without dismounting and violating City of Hamilton by-law 01-215. However, Shellnutt still takes issue with the way Hamilton police handled the situation.

"He was at the hospital with his mom getting X-rays," says Shellnutt, at which time, a police officer showed up and issued the teenager a ticket.

The site of the collision, at King Street East and Quigley Road, is a high-volume street located not far from a highway offramp, and while there is a bike lane on this stretch, it doesn't exactly look hospitable to even a more experienced cyclist.

I saw this tweet by Dave this morning, looked it up on Google Maps and it said there was a bike lane so I thought I would go and have a look. This section of King is just past the off ramp for the Red Hill Pkwy. The bike lane starts past the merge lane for cars coming off there. https://t.co/1dmZ0nru5P pic.twitter.com/gNtNTZi936

— Mark Anderson 😷 (He/His/Him) (@cycletherapyHam) April 12, 2023

Shellnutt stresses that "all cyclists should know that it is illegal to bike on the sidewalk or a crosswalk," but adds that, "if it makes you feel safe to bike on the sidewalk, do so, but know that entering that intersection is going to be dangerous."

He argues that "just because they entered the crosswalk on their bike doesn't excuse the driver. You still have to be attentive, and this motorist obviously was inattentive and hit a kid."

Shellnutt's account of the incident has triggered outrage on social media. Several commenters are calling out law enforcement for ticketing the already injured teen who hadn't even left the hospital yet.

A concerned parent chimed in, "My kids already know that I'll pay any ticket they get for riding their bike on the sidewalk."

When my kids were growing up, I always told them I'd pay any such ticket if they didn't feel safe on the road.

— David T.S. Fraser (@privacylawyer) April 12, 2023

"The pettiness of this, issuing a ticket for a municipal bylaw, literally adding insult to injury," reads one comment.

"All afternoon, and still going on after midnight, drivers have been racing on King St E in very loud vehicles disturbing entire neighborhoods for blocks in every direction, but #HamiltonPolice are keeping me safe from kids on deserted sidewalks," reads another sarcastic comment.

Shellnutt's tweet has been retweeted approximately 150 times with over 80,000 views as of 9 a.m. Thursday.