A Kalamazoo Ride Group's Worst Nightmare

[Philpug]

OMG, how about this from Jalopnik LINK:

​

Everybody loves a good “Ford Mustangs eat people” joke, but holy hell this hit-and-run is disturbing.

Warning: Graphic video of somebody getting hit by a car. (They do get back up.)



Looks like the bicyclist is circling back to recover something they dropped in the road when this facelifted fifth-generation Ford Mustang plows right into them and speeds off. As the biker gets up, they stumble over a fence while another biker tries to flag down help.

Whoever was driving must have been two-thumbs deep in a text conversation and completely ignoring the view through the windshield, or they hit this biker on purpose. The sudden and deliberate acceleration after the crash suggests the latter.

LiveLeak reports that this took place at the intersection of 13th Place and Hatcher Road, which we deduced is in Phoenix, Arizona. According to the camera’s timestamp the collision happened just before 10 a.m. on April 29th of this year. Curiously I haven’t seen information about this incident posted anywhere else and unfortunately the Phoenix police records department is already closed for the weekend.

A bright red and white-striped mustang with a crack in the windshield shouldn’t be that hard to spot, and indeed perhaps this car has been caught already. But in case it hasn’t, if you have any idea where to find this vehicle or its driver please contact the Phoenix police.

 

[skibob]

I almost hesitate to post this because its getting morbid. But we were just talking about this very thing on the previous page. Yesterday morning a truck was turning into an E-W road. Looked (presumably) to the east into the rising sun and didn't see the cyclist coming at them. Turned and the cyclist hit the truck as they entered the road. Like @crgildart said, you must assume they do not see you. I know you don't want to lose momentum. Especially as there is a moderate hill right after the spot where this accident occurred. But that just has to take second place to "not getting hit".

From the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. This occurred west of Santa Rosa, not far from the terminus of my usual ride. But I don't ride on River Rd because cars are traveling 50-60mph.

Cyclist suffers major injuries in collision with pick-up near Forestville.
DEREK MOORE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | June 10, 2016, 9:29PM

A cyclist was seriously injured Friday morning after he crashed into a pickup on River Road near Forestville, the CHP said.

The unidentified cyclist was riding west on River Road at about 10:40 a.m. when a Chevrolet pickup that had been stopped at Trenton-Healdsburg Road pulled out into the intersection, Sgt. Andrew Henkens said.

The cyclist struck the pickup. Henkens said he was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

 

[Philpug]

OMG, how about this from Jalopnik LINK:

​

Everybody loves a good “Ford Mustangs eat people” joke, but holy hell this hit-and-run is disturbing.

Warning: Graphic video of somebody getting hit by a car. (They do get back up.)



Looks like the bicyclist is circling back to recover something they dropped in the road when this facelifted fifth-generation Ford Mustang plows right into them and speeds off. As the biker gets up, they stumble over a fence while another biker tries to flag down help.

Whoever was driving must have been two-thumbs deep in a text conversation and completely ignoring the view through the windshield, or they hit this biker on purpose. The sudden and deliberate acceleration after the crash suggests the latter.

LiveLeak reports that this took place at the intersection of 13th Place and Hatcher Road, which we deduced is in Phoenix, Arizona. According to the camera’s timestamp the collision happened just before 10 a.m. on April 29th of this year. Curiously I haven’t seen information about this incident posted anywhere else and unfortunately the Phoenix police records department is already closed for the weekend.

View attachment 10307​

A bright red and white-striped mustang with a crack in the windshield shouldn’t be that hard to spot, and indeed perhaps this car has been caught already. But in case it hasn’t, if you have any idea where to find this vehicle or its driver please contact the Phoenix police.

A follow up.. Woman hits boyfriend on Bicycle. Some stuff just cannot be made up.

 

[Tricia]

A surviving cyclist talks to the Detroit Free Press. Says she has lost bits and pieces of that day and can't remember the accident.
http://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...oo-bicyclist-survivor-cant-remember/85972622/

Also, the group was out riding in preparation of a charity ride, which was finished this past week with Lance Armstrong in attendance.
See story here.
Lance Armstrong helps finish the ride started by cyclists

 

[skibob]

Riding on Donner Pass Rd along the lake with my wife and a friend of ours this afternoon. Some jackass passes me with his side mirror inches from my shoulder. THEN he pulls over into the bike lane in front of me. I scream "What the hell is wrong with you" and he flips me off. Stopped about a mile later and discussed with my wife and friend. They'd been about 300 yds behind and he did the same F'n thing to them. Just what the hell is up with this? I mean seriously? Just venting, I know you don't any of you know. Unless you were driving a white 4x4 PU on Donner Pass Rd this afternoon. I'm just venting.

 

[Tricia]

Riding on Donner Pass Rd along the lake with my wife and a friend of ours this afternoon. Some jackass passes me with his side mirror inches from my shoulder. THEN he pulls over into the bike lane in front of me. I scream "What the hell is wrong with you" and he flips me off. Stopped about a mile later and discussed with my wife and friend. They'd been about 300 yds behind and he did the same F'n thing to them. Just what the hell is up with this? I mean seriously? Just venting, I know you don't any of you know. Unless you were driving a white 4x4 PU on Donner Pass Rd this afternoon. I'm just venting.

This is the sort of thing that makes me happy I sold my road bike.
@Gaby had an image on his Facebook time line a few months ago that I wish I could relocate.
It was sort of funny but had a few descriptions of space people leave between cars and bikes when passing.
Something like:
You leave -
<-----> this much space if you've never ridden a bike
<----------------> this much space if you know someone who rides a bike
<--------------------------------> this much space if you are a cyclist.
<-> this much space if you're an asshole.

 

[coskigirl]

Will his lawyer use that as a reference case?

It won't be relevant legally because the governing law is different and thus far the California case hasn't been appealed on a Fedeal law that would have jurisdiction over Michigan.

 

[Philpug]

This is the sort of thing that makes me happy I sold my road bike.
@Gaby had an image on his Facebook time line a few months ago that I wish I could relocate.
It was sort of funny but had a few descriptions of space people leave between cars and bikes when passing.
Something like:
You leave -
<-----> this much space if you've never ridden a bike
<----------------> this much space if you know someone who rides a bike
<--------------------------------> this much space if you are a cyclist.
>< this much space if you're an asshole.

FIxed it for you.

 

[Doug Briggs]

And what fun does that make the ride?

Whenever you are on the road, you need to be defensive. Being on a bike just makes it more critical that you remember and succeed at being so.

Riding on Donner Pass Rd along the lake with my wife and a friend of ours this afternoon. Some jackass passes me with his side mirror inches from my shoulder. THEN he pulls over into the bike lane in front of me. I scream "What the hell is wrong with you" and he flips me off. Stopped about a mile later and discussed with my wife and friend. They'd been about 300 yds behind and he did the same F'n thing to them. Just what the hell is up with this? I mean seriously? Just venting, I know you don't any of you know. Unless you were driving a white 4x4 PU on Donner Pass Rd this afternoon. I'm just venting.

Some guy did this to me on a two lane boulevard in Portland ME. The road was wide enough that it could have been a four lane road. I was a few feet from the edge of the pavement when he cut me off. I charged after him and caught him at a stop sign, pulled in front of him and berated him for a few minutes. I don't think it did anything to change his future behavior, but it felt really good at the time. I don't think I'd do it these days, though. Times have changed.

 

[Tricia]

Now, in Boulder County, another incident.
Bicyclist killed in hit and run crash on Jay Rd and 30th St in Boulder County

From the article:
Two bicyclists were traveling westbound in the bike lane. A 2015 Dodge Durango which was also westbound entered the bike lane striking one of the cyclist, Danko said.

The cyclist who died was identified as 35-year-old William B. Davis of Boulder.

 

[tball]

Really sad... RIP William Davis.

I'm furious. That poor soul made the mistake of riding in a bike line, on a road that sees an enormous number of cyclists, in one of the most bike-friendly towns anywhere.... and still got killed.

I've ridden that road hundreds of times. It's on the course for pretty much every triathlon in Boulder (probably every other weekend through the summer?). The signage and striping couldn't be better.

I'm staying off the road as much as possible. Even with my minimalist road biking, I need to pre-ride courses. That's a spot I'll have to ride through many times to come. We really are never safe on the road.

 

[Eleeski]

Staying off the road might not be a good solution. I can't remember where I read it but statistics showed that areas with high numbers of cyclists on the road had the lowest accident rate. (Rate, not number of accidents though. Still it's safer for riding.) Life is dangerous. Don't let fear make it dull.

Edit: please don't go there

Eric

 

[tball]

Updated story on the Boulder incident. Oh my, this is so sad.
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/bou...ing-money-family-boulder-bicyclist-killed-hit

Bill was a father of three boys under 10, a Software Engineer at Google, and a bike racer on the RallySport team specializing in cyclocross racing. He lived two miles from where he was killed. His idyllic Boulder life was taken by a drunk 24-year-old party-girl with multiple DUI's.

 

[Doug Briggs]

This kind of tragedy will only stop when people begin to think about others and the consequences of our actions. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go. My condolences to his family.

So sad.

 

[Philpug]

Sick to my stomach over these tragic events.

 

[Tricia]

@tball I watched the video in that link and was left in tears.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Sick to my stomach over these tragic events.

I'm with you on that, @Philpug

I just rode my bike past this intersection and was wondering what the officer with the lights on was doing. So sad.

http://www.summitdaily.com/news/22683873-113/juvenile-cyclist-collides-with-vehicle-on-highway-9

 

[coskigirl]

I ride that road and through that intersection often when I'm riding long mileage. Partially because there is less traffic than other routes to get to the canyons I want to climb. I have run the same road. Two households of family members live within half a mile of the intersection. It hits awfully close to home. And I own the same shirt she's wearing which somehow makes it easier to put myself in her shoes.

 

[Tricia]

The article that @tball posted a link to in #73 lead me to looking up Phil Zajicek's accident (which was referenced in the article).
I found this story that is equally disturbing.
Dated March 2016: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/zajicek-faces-long-road-to-recovery/
Another article from March 16: http://velonews.competitor.com/2016/03/news/phil-zajicek-loses-arm-in-flagstaff-car-crash_398737
Update on road to recovery May 5, 2016: http://cyclingtips.com/2016/05/zajicek-out-of-coma-progressing-slowly-after-traumatic-brain-injury/

In this case, no charges were pressed against the truck driver and witness' said that Phil was the at fault.
From the article.
Based on witness testimony and physical evidence, the Colorado State Patrol determined that Zajicek was traveling at a “high rate of speed” — between 35 and 40mph in a 20mph zone — and that he crossed the double yellow line when he hit the truck.

 

[tball]

^^^ The unbelievable tie between the two tragic incidents (pulled from slowtwitch.com):

I am very devastated by the passing of Bill along with our team and the rest of the cycling community here in Boulder. I grieve for his Wife Brianne and her three young sons. Bill was that guy everyone strived to be. A father and dedicated husband who put his family first, a rising star in Google, and a talented racer who went from cat 4 to cat 2 in two year.
There are so many stories I can share to demonstrate his character. One story does stand out. In March while on a group ride down Flagstaff Mountain, Phil Zajicek (former Pro) was lead a group down the Mountain and collided with a truck in which his arm was ripped off. As the Group arrived, seeing his arm in the middle of the road and him on the side of the road, everyone was in shock not knowing what to do. Not Bill, he jumped right in and found the artery that was causing Phil to bleed out. He squeezed with all his might while instructing other what to do. Bill Saved Phli's life. Once again Bill proved what kind of hero he was.
Source: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/?post=5989121#p5989121

It's nice to see the outpouring of support on Bill's gofundme page:
https://www.gofundme.com/2bdebfw