OAKHURST – An Oakhurst man has been airlifted to a valley hospital with major injuries after crashing into a pickup that pulled out in front of him on Road 426 this afternoon.
At about 1:30 p.m., an 83-year-old Oakhurst man was stopped at the stop sign on Elliot Drive in a Chevy Silverado, preparing to turn left onto Road 426.
The driver told CHP that he looked to his left and saw the bicycle coming down Road 426, then looked to his right and saw traffic approaching eastbound and waited for it to pass.
He then pulled out onto Road 426, and became aware that the bicycle was approaching faster than he had judged, and swerved in an attempt to avoid the impact. However the cyclist struck the driver’s side of the pickup and was ejected into the middle of the road.
The driver of the pickup immediately stopped and called 911. The roadway was closed in both directions as the injured cyclist, also from Oakhurst (age unknown), was evaluated and prepared for transport. He was taken by Sierra Ambulance to the landing zone at the Chukchansi Casino and airlifted to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno with head and chest injuries.
One-lane traffic control was put in place as the scene was cleared.
The accident remains under investigation.
