Merri Conner, 63, was struck by a bicycle yesterday morning as she and her husband Harvey crossed the corner of 34th and Walnut streets.
The Newton Square, Pa., couple were on their way to Yom Kippur services at Irvine Auditorium -- a tradition that they have upheld for the past decade.
Instead of attending the Jewish services, however, they spent part of the day in the emergency room of the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania.
According to Penn police reports, Merri was struck on the right by an unknown cyclist travelling against the flow of traffic as she attempted to cross Walnut Street.
According to her husband, the blow forced her to the pavement, where she struck her face and broke some of her teeth.
He added that the traffic light may have been still red when the couple crossed, but that there was no traffic.
College sophomore Jasmine Fournier did not witness the actual accident, but saw the aftermath on her way to class.
"I looked over in the intersection and there was a women lying on the ground," she said. "She was bleeding from the mouth. ... Her husband was taking care of her. [The cyclist] was straddling the bike."
But the cyclist didn't stay for long. By the time the police and paramedics arrived, he had left.
Fournier described the cyclist as a male roughly 5 foot 10 to 6 feet in height with dark brown hair.
She added that he was carrying a satchel-like backpack, may have had a blue collar and was wearing black khakis.
"He looked like a Penn student," she said.
Harvey said that the cyclist offered help before leaving.
Merri was released from the hospital several hours after the incident.
She is currently recuperating at home and will attempt to participate in religious services with her family.
-- Dean Dennis
