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Man thrown to ground and hurt in Mason City after riding bike into power line blocking sidewalk, lands on dangerous water mains

A man just trying to get to work in a safe manner struggles to his feet after a recklessly-placed power line threw him to the ground, only to land on two dangerous city water mains.

MASON CITY – A man laid on the gravelly Mason City sidewalk next to the busy roadway, clutching his back and ribs, groaning in pain as he struggled to his feet after he was slammed to the ground by a rogue power line blocking his path.

The incident took place on the morning of Thursday, July 5, at the 100 block of 6th Street SW in Mason City. Much of the area is under construction at this time and at some locations, large, orange power lines protrude far out of the ground. At this particular point on 6th Street SW, a large orange power line sticks out of the ground 5-6 feet and bends over the entire sidewalk, forcing those who encounter it to duck or go around it. Directly below the power line are two large water mains that protrude from the ground about 2 feet.

On this particular day, a gentleman was on his way to work (a foreign concept to many locals) on his bicycle and traveling on the sidewalk. He later explained that the roadway was very congested and he didn’t feel safe as there are no bike paths and drivers are aggressive. So, he chose the sidewalk to ride. He didn’t see the orange power line as he rode along, carrying his toolbox.

Boom. He struck the unforgiving orange power line and was thrown to the ground. He landed on the protruding water mains.  (NIT is aware that City leaders have been warned about the dangerous water mains, but the issue has been ignored.) Scattered about was his tools and his toolbox, along with his blue bicycle. The man laid on the sidewalk, clutching his back and ribs, groaning.

“Are you alright?” the man, who declined to give his name, was asked.

“Well, not really, but I’ll be OK,” he responded, later saying he was not injured. He explained to a concerned citizen and property owner how he got where he was. The fellow struggled to his feet, still bent over in pain, and collected his tools and toolbox. He slowly began to push his bike, limping gingerly westward on the cracked, weedy Mason City sidewalk.

A nearby Mason City property owner, Matt Marquardt, who encountered the injured man, weighed in on the incident, saying, “There are children riding bikes on these sidewalks everyday, whether it is legal or not,” Marquardt said. “Pedestrians, night joggers, the elderly, drug addicts, you name it.  Our neighbors, fellow citizens, folks that live here.  Someone’s gonna get seriously injured, and we might not have enough money to pay the bills after recklessly throwing at least a million dollars at a goofy hotel project that is sucking us all dry. I only wish City Hall and a few of the incompetents there – like Mayor Bill Schickel and his greedy downtown bosses – would deal with our infrastructure issues and stop ignoring the blight in our sprawling neighborhoods. The citizens deserve better than this.”

A dangerous route for pedestrians, children, and those under the influence of narcotics and booze.

Ever play the limbo at the skating rink?
A possible liability to the city. Will anyone take action to correct this problem?

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