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Cross-country cyclist struck by ice from passing car

A man riding his bicycle cross country for breast cancer awareness has been released from a hospital after he was injured along Route 209 between Nesquehoning and Jim Thorpe on Wednesday afternoon.

Brent L. Bundy of Keizer, Oregon, was struck by a piece of ice which came off a passing vehicle.

Kaiser was nearing the end of his sixth cross-country bicycle journey to raise awareness for breast cancer. He had been riding from Oregon with New York as his destination.

Reached Wednesday night, Bundy said he was treated and released from St. Luke’s Gnaden Huetten Campus. X-rays were negative, but he was feeling sore. He compared the impact to getting hit with a hammer.

“It doesn’t take much weight for something going 40 mph at you. It doesn’t need to be very big. And there are some big sheets on top of cars that fall off,” Bundy said.

A Carbon County Sheriff deputy which happened to be passing by saw Bundy on the side of the road and stopped to render aid, according to people at the scene. A Lehighton Ambulance unit was also passing shortly after and stopped, according to Carl Breiner of Nesquehoning Police Department.

Bundy is about 150 miles from completing his sixth cross-country journey by bicycle. He raises breast cancer awareness in memory of a friend who died in 2004.

During Monday’s bitter cold, where wind chills dipped below zero, Bundy was riding from Pottsville to Hazleton. He said he wore every garment of clothing he has with him. His rear view mirror broke after it froze.

“It could have been much worse. You could have had a foot of snow — the roads were clear from Pottsville to hazleton,” he said.

The gradual transition into cold temperatures has acclimatized him.

Bundy said this is far from the worst setback he has dealt with during his cross country rides.

“I was hit by a car the second time across. Dislocated my shoulder. That was way worse. I can’t give that shoulder a break,” he said.

He recently met with Gov. Tom Wolf in Harrisburg as part of his mission to raise breast cancer awareness.

Police do not have a description of the vehicle, or the exact time that Bundy was struck. If you want to learn more about Bundy’s journey, check out his twitter, @brentleebundy1.

As bicyclist was injured this afternoon when riding his bike between Nesquehoning and Jim Thorpe. The male was traveling north on Route 209 when he was struck by a piece of ice which fell from a passing vehicle. The man was discovered lying along the roadway by a deputy Carbon county sheriff. He was treated at the scene by Lehighton paramedics before being transported to an area trauma center. Nesquehoning police are investigating the incident. The biker is traveling across the United States from Oregon to New York on a charity tour. COPYRIGHT LARRY NEFF SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS