Cyclist Struck by SUV Outside Memorial Pool Entrance

A bicyclist riding near the intersection of Cumberland Street and North Scotch Plains Avenue at approximately 4 p.m. on Tuesday was struck by a sport utility vehicle.

The victim, a Westfield man, was transported to Overlook Hospital by the Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad but later transferred to Morristown Hospital's Orthopedic Trauma Unit. He suffered extensive injuries to his shoulder and hip that will require surgery, a friend of the victim told Patch. A Morristown Hospital spokesperson said the cyclist was undergoing evaluation and his condition would be updated later this afternoon.

Calls to the Westfield Police Department for additional details were not immediately returned. 

This accident is the second involving a cyclist struck by a vehicle in just over two weeks. On Monday, May 20, Westfield resident Dennis McGorty, 43, was struck by a landscaping truck and dragged beneath its trailer, according to Westfield Police Capt. Scott Rodger. McGorty suffered severe injuries to his spine that have left him paralyzed below the waist. Family and friends have established a website, McGortyFamilyFund.org, to help defray medical expenses and support the athlete's wife, Anita, and two young children. To date, more than $24,000 has been raised. Through the site those wishing to help, can offer support in the form of meals, babysitting and visits with McGorty.

While the victim who was struck on Tuesday did not suffer injuries as extensive as McGorty's, his friend told Patch he faces a "tough six- to eight-month recovery period."

Patch will update this story as new information becomes available.