Report: Shawn Bradley Was Biking Past a Parked Vehicle When Hit By Car

Former Mavs center Shawn Bradley was reportedly passing a parked car on his bike when he was hit by a moving vehicle in an accident that left him paralyzed.
Report: Shawn Bradley Was Biking Past a Parked Vehicle When Hit By Car
Report: Shawn Bradley Was Biking Past a Parked Vehicle When Hit By Car /

New details have emerged in the Jan. 20 bike accident that left former Mavericks center Shawn Bradley paralyzed.

According to a St. George, Utah police report obtained by USA Today, Bradley was passing a parked car on his bicycle just a block from his Utah home when he was hit by a moving Dodge van—referred to as V1 in the police report. 

The impact forced the 7-foot-6 Bradley to collide with a parked Saturn and roll over the back of the vehicle. 

“V1 driver looked into their rearview mirror as they passed V2 (a Saturn) and saw the cyclist flipping through the air and landed on their back,” the report said.

The driver of the moving vehicle said she passed Bradley at 10 mph and gave him “plenty of room putting their driver side tire between the two yellow sets (of) double lines."

According to the report, Bradley was unable to remember details of the incident until the following day when he said he saw the “V2 parked on the road and was in the process of passing it when V1 made contact with him and sent him into V2." 

In a statement last week, the Mavericks said the accident caused a traumatic spinal cord injury that required Bradley to remain in the hospital for eight weeks following neck fusion surgery. 

The statement also said Bradley is planning to use the accident "as a platform to bring greater public awareness to the importance of bicycle safety."

Bradley, who turned 49 on Monday, was the No. 2 pick in the 1993 NBA Draft following his return from a two-year mission in Australia. The BYU alum played 12 seasons in the NBA, including eight with the Mavericks. 


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Andrew Gastelum
ANDREW GASTELUM

Andrew Gastelum is a programming editor and writer at Sports Illustrated who specializes in soccer, the Olympics and international sports. He joined the SI staff in March 2021 and previously contributed to Howler Magazine and NBC Sports. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame alum and is currently based in Italy.