A 13-year-old boy was hospitalized after a collision with a car while riding his bicycle in Chapel Hill yesterday afternoon, according to local authorities. Chapel Hill Police Department responded to the incident, which occurred around 3:45 p.m. in the 300 block of North Estes Drive, as Chapel Boro reported. Karla Slocum, 61, struck the teen cyclist while she was executing a left turn. The boy, traveling eastbound on the bike, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to UNC Hospitals for treatment.
Investigations revealed that Slocum was traveling westbound when making the turn that led to the crash. Charged with failure to yield, Slocum's actions have reignited discussions about the safety of the recently reopened North Estes Drive. The road was closed to eastbound traffic for over a year due to the Estes Drive Connectivity Project, which aimed to enhance safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. Yet, the 300 block didn't receive these updates, something that Chapelboro.com pointed as not being part of the improvement project within the road's vicinity that included areas near Estes Hills Elementary, Phillips Middle School, and the Azalea Estates community.
The condition of the young cyclist has not been disclosed beyond the initial assessment of the injuries being non-life-threatening. As WRAL notes, the ongoing investigation seeks to piece together the exact circumstances of the incident. The Chapel Hill Police Department has provided no further information since their initial report on the evening of the crash.
While the incident is one of the first reported crashes along North Estes Drive since its reopening, it raises concerns about the safety measures in place., especially since the recent renovations were aimed at preventing such occurrences. As reported by CBS 17, with the community watching, the police department's findings from the ongoing investigation are highly anticipated, likely to influence future traffic and infrastructure planning in Chapel Hill
