Cyclists Discover Booby Traps On Popular Dallas Bike Trails, Police Monitoring Areas

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Cyclists riding the trails in the Lakewood and Lake Highlands areas of Dallas have reported seeing booby traps that could injure or kill someone.

Multiple cycling groups report seeing twine strung across the trails, specifically the Ridgewood and SoPac trails.

The color of the string makes it nearly impossible to see so a cyclist that hits it while riding along at 20 miles per hour could be seriously hurt.

"What we call in the cycling world 'hit the deck' is not fun," said Ginny King of the King Racing Group. "And to think that you're crashing because somebody else wants you to, doesn't seem right."

King said she saw something crossing her path as she was riding down the SoPac Trail recently.

"Luckily I wasn't really going that fast," she said.

She stopped and found twine stretched and tied over trail.

"It was tied by a human. And I stopped and I said, 'Wow, is this really where we're at?'" she said.

She cut it and continued on, but she says she kept finding more.

"I just cut them every time I found them," she said.

King worried what was likely a prank could seriously injure rider. Soon, she learned from a friend, it almost did.

"He nearly crashed really bad. It was about this high," she said gesturing to her chest.

The Dallas Police Department told CBS 11 in a statement, "We are aware of these incidents occurring at the SoPac location and our bike officers will be monitoring the area very closely, particularly during school hours. In addition, we will direct any necessary resources in that area as needed. We want anyone occupying those trails to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity."