A 92-year-old El Cerrito woman was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center in "extremely critical" condition after being struck by a bicyclist while walking across Arlington Boulevard near Arlington Park at about 5:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, police said.
"It is a very serious accident," Police Chief Sylvia Moir said tonight.
The bicyclist – a 57-year-old El Cerrito man – was going downhill in the northbound bike lane, and the woman had almost finished crossing the street when the collision occurred, Moir. The woman was not in a crosswalk, Moir said.
The cyclist saw her from about 70 feet away and yelled at her several times, according to Moir. The woman was wearing functioning hearing aids but appeared to panic at the last minute, the chief said.
"It appeared she was going to stop, then she continued and then stopped," Moir said.
The woman was knocked down and suffered "severe head trauma," which for someone of her age "is of grave concern," Moir said. She taken by ambulance to Cerrito Vista Park and then by medical helicopter to John Muir in Walnut Creek.
The bicyclist was wearing a helmet and suffered minor injuries, Moir said.
Police did not release the names of the bicyclist or the pedestrian.
"It's premature for us to identify fault," said Moir, who added that police are continuing their investigation.
The accident occurred on Arlington near the intersection with Brewster Drive. Brewster crosses the Arlington twice, and the collision occurred near the southern Arlington-Brewster crossing, according to police.
Correction: The original version of this story incorrectly said the woman was transported by helicopter from Arlington Park. It was Cerrito Vista Park. The article has been corrected.
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