Tom Carlson doesn't understand why the driver who t-boned into him when he was riding his bicycle on Sunday, isn't facing any action from Austin police.
During a routine ride around 10:30 a.m., Carlson said he was stopped at the intersection of 45th Street and Shoal Creek Boulevard in Central Austin. He was headed south on Shoal Creek and made sure to yield the right of way to cars traveling on 45th. That's when he said an SUV t-boned into his left side.
"I probably took the nose of the hood on about my left hip...I heard this crunch, kind of sickening crunch. I remember that's either my left femur or that's my bike...It's pretty scary," Carlson said.
Amazingly, the doctor said he didn't suffer any serious injuries - just contusions, bruises and road rash.
Carlson may never know why he didn't suffer more serious injuries. He's equally baffled by what the responding officer did, or didn't do.
Carlson is surprised the driver who hit him wasn't charged or even fined. Carlson said the officer told him this is a Texas Department of Transportation issue and not an Austin police problem.
We reached out to Austin police and after talking to the responding officer, a spokeswoman told KVUE that both the cyclist and driver were stopped at their perspective stop signs. Tickets weren't issued because it was determined that no law was broken. As for the officer referring to TXDOT, the spokeswoman said that's where drivers can get their crash reports.
It still doesn't answer one big question for Carlson: why when a car hits another car, a ticket is issued?
In the end, Carlson's point in going public with his story is to warn other cyclists. If they are ever hit by a car, the driver may not face any fines.
Meantime, Carlson is slowly realizing that the outcome of the accident could have been worse. He is grateful for his life.
"I'm pretty lucky to be standing up right now," Carlson said.
Carlson may have to pay a $9700 deductible for his $14,000 state of the art carbon-fiber-frame bike that is now totaled.
It's a small price to pay in order to let other cyclists know what could happen if they ever get hit in a crash.