Watch out for bikes on the road

By Chuck Kajer

While driving through New Prague Monday I saw a truly horrifying sight.

As I turned south onto Highway 21, I saw an SUV pull slowly out of the alley behind the old motel and hit a youngster on his bicycle. The young man - about 12 years old - flew over the handlebars and landed on the ground.

I quickly pulled over to the side of the road and grabbed for my phone. The driver had a terrified look on her face and jumped out of the vehicle to see if the kid was OK. Miraculously, the kid jumped right up off the highway and assured the woman and me that he was fine. I asked him again, and he assured us there was no damage, so I drove off.

The incident serves as a reminder to everyone involved that extra care needs to be taken at this time of year - both for children riding their bikes and people driving their cars.

Fortunately, no one was injured this time. But next time, someone might not be so lucky. Drivers and bicycle riders - slow down and make sure the road is clear before you head into an intersection.

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The school year has ended and by the time most of you read this, the New Prague High School sports season will have ended. The Trojan girls golf team was in position to capture a state championship, holding a three-stroke lead going into Wednesday's final round. The final Trojan athlete to compete for the 2009-10 season will be Jack Pexa in the boys state golf tournament, which was scheduled to end Wednesday afternoon.

In about two months, athletes will report for fall practice and we at The Times will start working on our stories and special sections.

In the meantime, The Times staff will be be busy covering amateur baseball and a number of other summer sporting activities in the area. If you have any suggestions for stories give us a call at 952-758-4435 or email news@newpraguetimes.com.