PROVO — A bicyclist was critically injured Saturday when an off-highway vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road hit him, troopers said.
The crash occurred about 9:15 a.m. when the vehicle driving on Alpine Loop Road near Cascade Springs in Utah County came upon a group of bicyclists riding downhill, the Utah Highway Patrol said.
"Quite honestly, what I could describe that happened next is, I mean, every cyclist's nightmare," said Steven Biringer, who was in the group of bike riders.
The roadway in that area is 16 feet from shoulder-to-shoulder, according to troopers, and does not have a center divider line. The speed limit is 20 mph, the UHP said.
"Witnesses who had previously observed the (vehicle) later indicated to investigating troopers that the (driver) was driving aggressively, cutting corners and accelerating rapidly as he rounded the curves," troopers said. Preliminary evidence showed the vehicle rounded the curve on the wrong side of the road.
The first bicyclist in the group dodged the vehicle but the second struck its side, hitting the mirror and driver's side door, troopers said.
"I ran up to my friend, said, 'Hey, wake up! Come back to us, come back to us!'"
Although wearing a helmet, the man suffered serious head, neck and back injuries, according to the UHP. He was flown to a hospital in critical condition.
Additional information about his condition as of Sunday was not available.
Steve Mayfield said he also encountered the off-highway vehicle coming around a turn — before the crash happened.
"He was in my lane, so to feel safe, I had to go to the far end of my lane. Just the nature of the speed of it and where he was in my lane, I was really shocked and initially scared that I was going to be hit, so I moved out of the way," Mayfield said.
The driver of the off-highway vehicle had not been cited as of Sunday and the incident remained under investigation, the UHP said.