An accident involving a pickup and a Marion Elementary School student occurred at 4:30 p.m. April 15 at the intersection of Fourth and Main streets, Marion.
Aaron D. Unruh, 30, 1724 170th, Marion, was westbound on Main Street in a 1985 Ford pickup when Westin S. McFall, 5, 218 N. First, Marion, who was traveling southbound on Fourth Street on his bike, lost control and went into traffic, causing Unruh to strike McFall with his pickup.
The vehicle was registered to Debra J. Unruh.
Mcfall was transported by Marion EMS to St. Luke Hospital, Marion, with minor injuries.
Knowing the rules can make a difference
They do not happen often.
However, as Marion Chief of Police Josh Whitwell said, “All it takes is one time.”
An accident that occurred April 15 on Main Street, Marion, involved a pickup and a 5-year-old on his bike has brought attention to law enforcement.
The child only was slightly injured but Whitwell knows it could have been worse.
He said anyone, whether on foot, bike, or in a car, needs to know the rules of downtown.
Riding a bike is considered the same as operating a vehicle, Whitwell said.
“Shooting out on a bike in a crosswalk doesn’t offer you much protection,” he said.
Whitwell also reiterated riding bikes on sidewalks downtown is illegal.
The police department does not suggest children less than a specific age be accompanied by an adult downtown, adding it depends on the maturity level of the child.
“It would be nice if they understood the laws downtown,” Whitwell said of children on bikes. “Same goes for people in cars. We need to be watching for them. Kids don’t always pay attention.”
The chief also said the police department has helped USD 408 with bike safety classes but has not done one this year.
Whitwell would like to have one at Central Park, but said the last time that happened attendance was low. If the department has another one it could include discussing rules, a bike trail, and practicing walking instead of riding through cross walks.