Cyclist hurt by pillar

A
bicyclist suffered a serious head injury last month after a pillar designed to
keep traffic off the Old State Capitol Plaza tumbled onto his head in downtown
Springfield. 

A
video of the Oct. 10 incident released in response to a Freedom of Information
Act request to the city shows the bicyclist, whom the city is refusing to
identify, grabbing for the metal pillar in an apparent attempt to gain support
after he either fell from or dismounted his bicycle. The pillar toppled, striking
the bicyclist on his head. See video of the incident below.

WARNING: Content may be disturbing to some viewers.

A nurse who was nearby told police that the bicyclist had a pulse but was not
responsive when she checked on him and found blood coming from his ears and
mouth, according to a police report obtained in response to a FOIA request. The
cyclist, 46, was rushed to St. Johns Hospital for surgery, police reported, and
hospital personnel told an officer that police would be notified if he did not
survive.

It’s
not clear whether the man is dead or alive. The Sangamon County coroner’s
office says that it is not familiar with such a case. A St. Johns spokeswoman
said that she could provide no information on the man’s condition or prognosis
without a name, which the city won’t release on the grounds that releasing his
identity would be an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

It’s
not clear why a pillar that’s supposed to stop cars tumbled when the man,
described in a police report as weighing 135 pounds, grabbed it. The video
shows that a pillar adjacent to the one that fell was missing except for its base. Public works director Mark Mahoney declined comment, referring all
questions to city spokeswoman Julia Frevert, who said that she would attempt to
find out if and when the pillars were worked on, why the pillar fell on the man, the
extent of his injuries and what, if anything, the city has done to prevent a
similar incident in the future.

The
pillar that tumbled has not been replaced. Illinois
Times has submitted a records request to the city for work orders and other
records showing what sort of work or maintenance has been performed on the
pillars and when.

Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com.

This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 2, 2016.