A motorist driving with a suspended license struck Engineering junior Cory Meek at the intersection of 38th and Walnut streets at 11 a.m. yesterday, according to University Police Capt. John Richardson. Meek was riding his bicycle at the time. Meek was rushed by ambulance to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania emergency room, where he was treated and released at about 5:30 p.m. with minor injuries to his right leg and back. Meek said he hit the windshield of the car and flew several feet through the air. He added that his bicycle was thrown down the block. Despite the force of the impact, he suffered neither broken bones nor head injuries. But Meek said his back was badly bruised and that he has had difficulty moving. Meek said the car first appeared to be making a left turn at the intersection of 38th and Walnut streets. But the vehicle went straight instead. "It came out of nowhere," he said. Meek said he recalled seeing the car -- although he was unable to describe it specifically. Seconds later, he found himself hitting the windshield, flipping through the air and then hitting the ground. University Police stopped the driver for questioning. An investigation into the incident by Philadelphia Police is pending, according to Victim Support and Special Services Director Maureen Rush. Richardson said the driver, who was driving with a suspended license, received a ticket. Meek explained that this was not his first bicycle accident. Ironically, he said he had been hit by a car around the same time last year. But the car in last year's incident was moving at a slower speed, so the incident was less serious -- Meek only injured his left leg. Rush said that bicyclists need to be wary of moving vehicles and understand that cars may not always be able to see bicycles on the road. Because pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists all compete for the same space, everyone must be wary of who and what is around him or her, she added. "There is a three-way competition for the streets, and everybody has to play a conscious role in safety," Rush said. Daily Pennsylvanian reporter Ben Hammer contributed to this article.
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