Biker hit during Safety Week

A biker was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after he was struck by a car on Commonwealth Avenue near West Campus last night.

A Boston Police Department officer at the scene said the victim appeared to be a student, according to a witness, though the biker’s identity was unconfirmed as of last night.

The biker was launched over the car that struck him as he was turning from Babcock Street onto Commonwealth Avenue, heading East, a witness said. The victim was conscious afterward and was put on a stretcher and taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, according to BPD Media Relations.

Witnesses said the cyclist sped up to beat a red light but was struck by the car in the process. The cyclist, whom a witness said was not wearing a helmet, hit his head on the pavement after being thrown over the car.

The collision is the third time a person has been hit on the busy road that splits the Boston University campus in the past 11 days. All three collisions have been at night or in early morning in West Campus, and all three victims have been treated at hospitals.

This week, BU is trying to spread awareness about riding and walking along Commonwealth Avenue during Safety Week, a joint effort among many departments.

At the time of last night’s collision, some police officers were investigating a separate incident of disorderly conduct nearby but immediately responded to the scene, witnesses said. About a half-dozen BPD and BU Police Department cars responded to the incident and blocked off a portion of Commonwealth Avenue.

Two female BU students were struck by cars on Commonwealth Avenue on Sept. 15 in separate incidents. One of the students was listed in serious condition after being hit by a 25-year-old Brookline woman who pleaded not guilty to drunken driving charges. She had a .14 blood-alcohol content level, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

Brooks Canaday and Angela Marie Latona contributed reporting for this article.