WESTFIELD – A bicyclist suffered apparently serious injuries yesterday morning when he rode his bike out of the Westgate Plaza into the path of an oncoming Toyota on East Main Street.
Multiple callers reported the crash to police starting at 10:08 a.m. and Officer Jeffrey Baillargeon was the first officer to arrive at the scene of the accident.
Baillargeon reports that witnesses said that the bicyclist exited the plaza without slowing or looking at oncoming traffic and turned left, against traffic.
The operator of the Toyota said that the bicyclist suddenly appeared in the path of her vehicle and, although she swerved, she was unable to avoid the collision.
Baillargeon reports that the man suffered an obvious and apparently severe injury to his leg and said that the man was holding a bandage to his head, which apparently suffered a less serious injury.
Lt. Jerome Pitoniak, the commander of the department’s Traffic and Safety Bureau, also responded to the accident scene and reports that the victim was not identified before he was transported by Westfield Fire Department ambulance to Baystate Medical Center.
“I don’t think he speaks English. That’s the issue”, Pitoniak said.
Baillargeon reports that the man appears to be of Nepalese descent.
However, Pitoniak reports that the victim was identified this morning as Bishnu Kwatiwada who is believed to be 61-years-old.
Pitoniak said that it is not known where Kwatiwada lives.
A Baystate Medical Center spokesman reported this morning the man was admitted and was in fair condition this morning.
