Los Gatos Bicyclist Critically Injured in Crash Was Professional Rider

The Los Gatos bicyclist seriously injured the afternoon of Oct. 4 during a two-car collision at the intersection of Saratoga-Los Gatos Road and Ridgecrest Avenue in Monte Sereno is a professional rider from Scandinavia.

According to her husband Jan, who wishes to be identified only by first name, his wife, Anna, 31, has competed during the Women's Tour of Thuringia 2012 in Zwickau, Germany and had moved to town with their three children just five months ago.

Anna rides with the NorCal-based Leopard-Sapporo Cycling Team and was hoping to participate next year in the National Racing Calendar races here in U.S., her husband said.

Team manager Martin Santos, Jan said, has been visiting Anna at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where she remains in critical condition, he said.

Anna, like others in the team, get their cycling equipment covered by the company sponsoring them and only take home money if they win competitions, her husband added.

The couple has three children, ages 5, 9 and 13, he said.

"She's in critical condition and there's no prognosis of any and all of her long-term effects yet," Jan said. "The critical factor is the brain trauma."

He added: "We're in such early phases of her treatment that we know she didn't die, but [it's too early] to give a prognosis."

Anna is no longer in a coma, but she's suffering from a broken pelvis, broken femur (thigh bone), broken tibia (shinbone), he said.

"It was a full-on high-speed hit by a car on her right side. She was stationary. Anything you can imagine hitting your right side with 4,000 [pounds] of steel is always going to be ugly," he lamented.

According to Los Gatos/Monte Sereno police, Anna was struck shortly before 12:45 p.m. when two vehicles traveling westbound on Saratoga-Los Gatos Road, also known as Highway 9, collided.

On the day she was struck, Anna was on a short training ride and was planning to pick up her children from school after she finished, her husband said.

Anna works as a Finnish translator as she's originally from Scandinavia. So is her husband and three children. "We just relocated," he said.

Anna is well known by local cyclists because she has joined many on them on group rides, her husband said.

Jan said he works in the Bay Area as a technical consultant and advisor and said his wife's medical expenses are being covered by his employer.

He said he doesn't know if he'll need financial support from the public to help pay for his wife extended care and rehabilitation.

Jan thanked the community for supporting the family during the tragedy. He said since the accident occurred, a group of Finnish ex-patriots has been providing daily dinners by setting up a web page where volunteers can sign up to help feed the family.

ALSO ON LOS GATOS PATCH

• Bicyclist Sustains Major Injuries After Being Struck by Car in Monte Sereno
• Los Gatos Bicyclist in Critical Condition Following Friday's Crash