San Jose mayor hospitalized after being hit by car while biking

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo was hit by a car on New Year’s Day while riding his bicycle in the city, and he remained in the hospital Tuesday night, according to a statement from his office.

Liccardo, an avid biker, was cycling about 12:30 p.m. in the 600 block of Salt Lake Drive when a car struck him, according to the statement issued by spokesman David Low.

“The driver of the vehicle pulled over and stayed at the scene, while Mayor Liccardo was taken to the hospital to be checked out,” the statement said.

The 48-year-old suffered unspecified “minor fractures” and was expected to remain at Regional Medical Center in San Jose for up to two more days with injuries that “are not considered overly serious.”

Low said in an email that “the mayor is banged up but in good spirits.”

Liccardo expressed gratitude in a statement for police and first responders as well as nearby residents who came to his aide. “Fortunately, the doctors state that all defects to the head were pre-existing conditions,” he joked.

As a member of San Jose’s city council and later as mayor, Liccardo has sought to make the city more bike-friendly, and StreetsBlog reported in 2012 that the then-council member rode his bike three times each week for his City Hall commute.

As part of his successful 2018 reelection campaign, he noted his efforts to add “buffered and colored bike lanes … for San Jose’s rapidly-growing cycling community.”

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno