Bus driver facing DUI charges after hitting pedicab outside Wrigley Field
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A cyclist operating a pedicab was violently run over in Wrigleyville this past weekend, as crowds poured out of a concert at the ballpark.
As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported, the pedicab operator, Sarah Yopp, was left mentally banged up and bruised after she was mowed down right at Clark and Addison streets alongside Wrigley Field.
Yopp said she believes the driver is getting off easy – and is not being held accountable for what he actually did.
"He hit me and had taken off, and I was thrown onto the ground," she said.
Cellphone video shows the driver of a minibus with a psychedelic paint job deliberately run over Yopp and her pedicab after a Dead & Company concert around 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
"He said, 'Sorry;' he mouthed, 'Sorry, before completely just - no disregard for my body," Yopp said. "I was like,'There's no way this guy is going to hit me.' You know, like, it's a festival where usually, people are very loving, and hippies, and happy."
After hitting Yopp, the driver – who has been identified by Chicago Police as Bryan Rollins, 40, of Berkeley, California – did not stop. He had already hit two parked sedans just before hitting Yopp, police said.
In the video, bystanders are seen running after the bus.
Rollins was later arrested, and charged with two misdemeanor counts driving under the influence of alcohol. He also was issued traffic tickets for driving without insurance, failure to carry or display a driver's license, failure to report an accident, and a lane violation.
"He's definitely getting off," Yopp said.
Yopp – who has not only lost her peace of mind, but also her livelihood – is angry that the driver is not facing stiffer charges.
"These are not ticket offenses. I can't imagine if I – you know, I mean, I'm someone's daughter. I'm someone's friend. I'm someone's sister. Like, I matter. Just because I ride a bike – I'm a professional," Yopp said. "If I was up even like a foot up more forward than I was, I would have died. My bike got wrecked."
Yopp's sister has set up a GoFundMe to help raise funds to pay for her medical bills and repairs for the pedicab.
