A bicyclist pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon after he pedaled through a red light and slammed into a pedestrian, according to Santa Monica police.
Rocky Martin was riding his bike June 24, 2012, east on Santa Monica Boulevard at the Third Street Promenade, an outdoor mall with heavy foot traffic, when he flew through a red light and struck a pedestrian in a crosswalk, Santa Monica Police Sgt. Richard Lewis said.
The victim suffered serious injuries, Lewis said.
Martin was sentenced May 31 to three years’ felony probation and 30 days of community services, Lewis said in a statement released Tuesday.
In a city where bikes, skateboards and rollerblades are widely used, Santa Monica police are cracking down on riders who fail to obey the rules of the road, Lewis said.
In April and May, police issued 86 tickets to bicyclists for violations including riding on the sidewalk and failing to yield to traffic signals, he said.
Lewis added that the department plans to “focus on bicycle violations” from July through September.
