A would-be hit and run suspect was arrested early Sunday morning after allegedly hitting a cyclist in Center City and then fleeing the scene, police said.
A sedan with New York plates hit the cyclist around 2:30 a.m. near Broad and Lombard streets, according to police.
The driver attempted to flee but was stopped just a few blocks away on Kenilworth Street. The victim was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition.
The accident comes just two weeks after Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation & Infrastructure Systems held public hearings over creating protected bike lanes along Lombard and South streets.
Under the plan, flexible vertical posts would separate bike and car traffic from 22nd to 27th streets along Lombard and 21st to 27th streets on South, as well as 27th Street between the two busy roads.
Crosswalks and existing bike lanes would also be repainted in an effort to create better visibility and protection for pedestrians and cyclists.
If Philadelphia city council approves the plan, the protected bike lanes would go up in the areas along Lombard and South for six months at some point next year. Other cities like New York, Chicago and Pittsburgh already have similar bike lanes.
