Man Killed After Dog Leash Ensnares Bicycle

 Posted on October 12, 2013 in Personal Injury

A 68-year-old cyclist is dead after his bike became entangled with a dog's leash in a Cook County forest preserve, according to the chtribune. Wladyslaw "Walter" Bujak, of Northbrook, died "five days after the incident," according to the Tribune. "The Cook County medical examiner's office said Bujak died of multiple injuries from his fall." Bujak's daughter told the paper that her father loved to ride his bike, and did so every opportunity that he had. No one would ever have guessed that an accident like the one that claimed Bujak's life would ever be an issue. The incident occurred when Bujak was "riding on one of the trails at the Harms Woods Forest Preserve, near the intersection of Old Orchard and Harms roads. It's something he has done many times," his daughter, Beata Nowak, 44, told the Tribune. It was just after 1p.m. when a dog's leash became wrapped around Bujak's bike. Bujak was wearing a helmet, but, according to police and as reported in the Tribune, "flew off the bicycle and suffered injuries to his neck and head," his daughter said. Several onlookers rushed to help the injured man, but the owners of the dogs whose leashes had been responsible for the incident left the scene. According to CBS Local, while police haven't yet been able to identify the dog's owners, witnesses "say a man and a woman let their dogs get away from them. Trailing their leashes, the animals jumped at Bujak as he rode by. He was thrown to the ground, critically hurt." The people who were responsible for the accident allegedly knelt down, untangled the leashes, and left the scene immediately. They didn't even call 9-1-1, according to CBS Local. In Illinois road law, according to statutes published by the Illinois General Assembly, any driver of a vehicle that doesn't stop to render aid after an accident that causes grave bodily harm is subject to punishment. There aren't laws that specifically address the situation encountered by Bujak, of course, since it's such an outlier. Yet the owners of the dogs could likely face fault if apprehended. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident involving any type of transportation—bikes included—in which someone else was at fault, you may be eligible for compensation. Don't go through it alone. Contact an experienced accident attorney today.