COLORADO SPRINGS – A Colorado Springs cyclist is dealing with major injuries after hitting a booby trap across a trail. “I had a concussion, broke my collar bone, dislocated my shoulder, broke three ribs,” said injured cyclist, Nard Claar. Police are investigating and trail advocates want the community aware of what happened.
Claar is a lifelong cyclist. “I bike almost daily around Colorado Springs.” The day of the crash he was out with a friend on the Rock Island Trail. It runs parallel to Constitution Avenue. It is away from traffic and on this day wide open for riding.
Heading west down a hill, they were rolling relatively fast across the pedestrian bridge just before Academy Boulevard. Neither cyclist saw the rope tied to iron rails on both sides of the bridge. Claar hit the rope and remembers little because he went over the handle bars, his helmet shattered and he was knocked unconscious when he hit the ground. He spent the night in the hospital.
His riding partner went down trying to avoid the crash ahead. He suffered scrapes and bruises, but was okay and able to call 9-1-1.
“This so runs counter to everything we would hope for our trails,” said Trails and Open Space Coalition, Executive Director, Susan Davies. She says everyone needs to know this is a crime. Police are investigating and looking for suspects.
