| 2012: Traffic Crashes & Fatalities in the News |
| | OpusthePoet  |
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| Rans Fusion
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| RBENT |
| posted
1/2/2012
at 12:04:23 PM |
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OK, here we go again with the reports of wrecks and people getting killed. I'm the one that does most of the posts to this thread by default because I have a blog that covers this subject and I cut-and-paste the reports from the Americas to this thread. I used to include UK reports but because of UK media laws there wasn't enough information where I could tell someone how to avoid a similar wreck should they find themselves riding in a country where they drive on the wrong side of the road, so I only cover the UK stories where they are allowed to tell what happened, which is after the end of the trial where a driver was convicted. Other than that there will be no UK links.
If you have any links to reports of people getting hit while riding their bike(s), feel free to post them and a short synopsis here. Legally you can post a paraphrased synopsis, and you can post the headline via a cut-and-paste, but the URL is the only other thing you can post or to create a link via html like I do.
Opus
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| | OpusthePoet |
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| Rans Fusion
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| RBENT |
| posted
1/2/2012
at 12:10:07 PM |
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And for our first report from 2012, we have a little kid that was run over last year in Oz and a year-in-review from the Great White North.
There were many links to the 5YO cyclist killed in Oz while riding in what would be called an RV park in the US. Campers witness as boy, 5, dies after hit by car in Inverloch holiday park and Car killed five-year-old boy at just 10km/h at Inverloch Holiday Park For my metric-system impaired readers, 10 km/h is 6.2 MPH. Basically what happened in this wreck was the kid went under the vehicle and suffered compression injury to the chest that prevented him from breathing. The driver was not looking at the road in front of her, but at the fireworks display, ditto the victim was also not looking for cars but at the fireworks. This was one of if not the last fatality for a cyclist in 2011.
And in this retrospective on 2011 Ottawa looks back on creating bicycle infrastructure and where the lack of that infrastructure caused a cyclist to get killed. A look back at the year Well for the bicycling citizens of Ottawa 2011 had good points and a major bad point, but that major bad point resulted in a legal review of every bicycle death in the preceding 5 years with a sharp eye towards how changes to the infrastructure could prevent a similar wreck, much like I use a wreck to determine how a cyclist could avoid a wreck in the same situation from different actions. And they even included a picture of a guy riding a bike past one of the goofier things they discussed in the article, the stadium with a mirrored geodesic dome.
Personal stuff for the New Year in my blog,
Opus
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In reference to the fatality at the caravan Park, the fatality is NOT being recorded as a road fatality, as the incident occurred on private property.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/car-killed-boy-at-just-10kmh/story-fn7x8me2-1226234451846
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| | OpusthePoet |
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| Rans Fusion
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| RBENT |
| posted
1/3/2012
at 1:38:40 PM |
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Up first and my first new death of the new year, is a cyclist killed by a snow plow. New Brighton bicyclist killed in collision with a plow truck in Fridley From what they say in the story this was a ninja cyclist who forgot the cardinal rule of bike ninjas: ride like you are invisible, because for all intents and purposes you are invisible to drivers.
Another report on the 16 YO killed crossing a major highway through a residential area in OH. Teen Bicyclist Killed On US 50 I finally got a Streetview to pull up from Google Maps, and if you look close you can see the intersection is controlled by those furshluginer loop sensors that almost never detect a bicycle present to cross the road, and there are 5 lanes and wide shoulders to cross on 50 with sight lines that are limited considering the speed of the crossing traffic. The road the cyclist was on is a short stretch of pavement that connects 2 residential areas on either side of the highway and from all appearances only exists to cross that highway. A bit of irony in the Streetview is if you pull up a bit to the right from the intersection view you can see a cyclist waiting on the light in the left turn lane, so it's not like this isn't an intersection that doesn't see at least some cyclists, one was killed there and there was one there when the Google camera car was rolling through.
In AZ what appears to be a cyclist who was hit crossing under a stale green. 14-Year-Old Bicyclist Hit by Truck, Critically Hurt The reason I place such a high probability on the stale green hypothesis is the width of the debris field and the very close proximity to the intersection. Given the estimated speed of the weapon vehicle as expressed in the article and the width of the debris field I would say this wreck's initial impact wasn't next to the crosswalk but on the other side of the street. Had the impact been in the lane closest to the debris field the cyclist would have just barely entered the intersection, and there would not have been enough room for the debris to have spread out like that and the weapon vehicle would have had to been travelling much slower than the speed given to have the debris field that close to the impact site. As I have posted before I don't know what to do about the stale green problem, There was a countdown amber in an old MUTCD that would have worked great with the newest LED traffic lights, but cyclists needing to stop on a stale green would get rear-ended by drivers that could have made the light crossing with the green. One possible solution would be an amber phase that was timed to be long enough for a 12MPH vehicle to clear the intersection if the vehicle was 5 feet from the stop bar when the light changed, or a combination amber/all-red duration that allowed a 12MPH cyclist to clear the intersection.
More in my blog including Infrastructure! and some personal stuff.
Opus
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| | OpusthePoet |
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| RBENT |
| posted
1/4/2012
at 12:33:09 PM |
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First up today is a wreck from outside the Americas in South Africa, with several links as I type this. Police mow down cyclists Yes, you read that right, on-duty LEO are being investigated for a homicide with a police vehicle of 2 people on a bicycle. More Cyclist's family to take action And with that link the dike bursts Cyclists die in accident another one Cyclists knocked over by cop still more Cyclists' families vow action not done by a long shot Protect cyclists - group more Cops deciding on cyclists’ crash Another one Probe underway after police van hits cyclists: report Still going Police vehicle ‘kills two cyclists' more Cyclists not protected - network and another one Two cyclists killed by cop van tons of comments mostly in favor of cyclists after the text in that link South African tandem riders killed after being hit by police van OK after all that the synopsis is the van (or bakkie in some articles) was going off the road at a high rate of speed and the bike was in the way. Opinion (and at this point it is strictly opinion) is equally split on the cyclists being in the way when the driver lost control, or the cyclists being targeted because they were there to get hit and it was easy to make it look like an "accident". I think the homicide investigation is one of the major things making people think that the cyclists were targeted by the driver or perhaps the passenger grabbing the wheel.
Back in the US, a cyclist is killed in SC. Darlington bicycle rider killed in collision with vehicle If the commenter is right and that bike lane is the scene of the wreck, then there were 2 crimes here, the wreck and that bike lane. Notice that there isn't enough room between the gutter pan and the lane strip to even paint the bike lane symbol? They had to paint the symbol in the space between the dashed stripe, which is also an indication that this is not a legal bike lane but merely a suggestion. An actual bike lane has a solid stripe prohibiting drivers from crossing into the lane, a dashed stripe is advisory for cyclists and permits drivers to use the lane, all 18" of it. As for avoiding the wreck I don't have enough information from that link. This other link I found says the cyclist was riding salmon. Darlington bicyclist dies in Tuesday evening crash with SUV
More on the cyclist who hit a snowplow in MN. New Brighton bicyclist killed in collision with truck ID'd This is beginning to look like a suicide by bike as the cyclist was riding ninja and salmon in the middle of the street! There are less messy ways to kill yourself than that. Another link Updated: Cyclist Killed by Plow Had No Lights, Helmet or Home
More in my blog from the rest of the world and Infrastruture! news.
Opus
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| | OpusthePoet |
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| RBENT |
| posted
1/5/2012
at 1:53:37 PM |
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Up first because it actually left me speechless for a minute. Man charged with murder following death of cyclist - Mullumbimby This is from Oz, BTW. I wasn't startled that a driver deliberately ran a cyclist down (remember who is doing this blog), I was stunned that LEO were actually charging a driver with murder for killing a cyclist. Anyway, hit-from-behind, the appropriate protocols as spelled out in the link at the top of my blog might have prevented or reduced injury, but given the charges filed and the lack of bail for the driver I would say, probably not.
And a similar thing from the US, only with a much longer time frame. Motorist faces murder trial for cyclist's death You may remember this drunken rampage from early last year, as the driver targeted several cyclists and "lesser vehicles" in a drunken road rage wreck spree... And more than 6 months later he is finally charged with a crime.
And from the Great White North a classic case of blaming the victim for wearing winter clothes during, wait for it, winter. Vernon cyclist injured and Cyclist hospitalized after ramming car The wreck was a classic left cross with blaming the victim added. "He was wearing dark clothing at night! I couldn't see him in my million candlepower headlights!" Left cross, intersection protocols to avoid, and put a headlight on your bike, those dinky white reflectors are freaking useless.
More from the rest of the world in my blog.
Opus
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| | OpusthePoet |
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| RBENT |
| posted
1/6/2012
at 2:40:36 PM |
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I like to start things off with either something outrageous, or something good. Today I have a link that fills both of those shoes. Driver pleads guilty to hit-and-run that killed bicyclist You might remember this story from way back when, the driver called in to report seeing the wreck and was arrested after officers saw the damage to his car. Well now the idiot is guilty of felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter. Unfortunately the judge was prevented from throwing the book at the miscreant, but has loaded the trebuchet with multiple tomes to be released upon the idiot if he puts a toe out of line. Plus the idiot has to pay $14,000 to the family of the deceased in addition to any damages he is assigned in the civil case pending against him.
Rolling halfway around the world to Oz, we find out more about the murdered cyclist who was hit by a van. Man charged with killing AA mentor So now we know that using a motor vehicle to kill a cyclist isn't a get out of jail free call if there was a history between the driver and the victim, at least in Australia. More Driver charged with murder
Down the road a bit from the suburbs of Hell, a cyclist "fails to yield" and gets hit from behind in Houston. Cyclist killed below interstate overpass identified If this wreck scene is as described there was no place for the cyclist to go when the taxi hit him from behind, and there is no legal requirement for a cyclist to yield when being passed by a motor vehicle (even when there is someplace he can yield to) so this whole thing just doesn't make any sense. This would be like saying a shooting victim is to blame for not dodging the bullet that hit him in the back.
In Portland a cyclist is hit while changing lanes and rather than wait for extrication tools to arrive firefighters just put as many men as will fit around the car and lift it until the cyclist victim can be removed from under the car. Early morning bike/car collision results in heroic rescue, life threatening injuries - UPDATED and Firefighters lift car off injured cyclist after MLK crash At this time why the cyclist went 2 lanes to the left is undetermined, there is some speculation in the first link that he may have crashed on the streetcar tracks in the outside lane and been propelled into the inside lanes. but a bunch of guys picking up a car and pulling him out from under it is cool no matter who you are. The cyclist sustained life-threatening injury in the crash, but looks to survive the ordeal.
Down the coast a bit from that wreck a cyclist loses control on a long downhill and hits a stop sign, then goes over an embankment. Sausalito cyclist severely injured in solo mishap The number one cause of motorcycle wrecks is excessive speed on corners, so we as bicyclists should be extra careful when riding in areas where we can get some extra speed. We are subject to the same laws of physics as motorcycles, after all. Only we ride much skinnier tires that don't have near the grip when leaned over as motorcycle tires.
In the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike (5 6 years running) a cyclist hit from behind is cited for making an improper turn. Injured bicyclist ticketed after turning in front of van Hit-from-behind protocols, regardless of what the LEO said about the unconscious rider... I call this one a SWSS.
A kid in NJ is hit from behind Pataskala boy hit by car while riding bike The driver was DUI at 3PM... what can you do about that? the road conditions precluded the cyclist from being able to avoid the wreck. The vehicle that hit the cyclist was going so fast the cyclist ended up inside the passenger side of the vehicle
Continued next post
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| | OpusthePoet |
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| Lifetime: 15,605 mi
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| Rans Fusion
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| RBENT |
| posted
1/6/2012
at 2:41:18 PM |
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...continued from previous post.
A(nother) kid in MO gets hit trying to cross a major highway. Cyclist injured in collision with car I can't get the location to pull up in Google Maps, and the article keeps disappearing while it tries to load some ads, but from what I can tell the cyclist either got tired of waiting for the light to change and/or didn't look before crossing. Remember, red lights that won't change can be considered defective and treated as stop signs, but you have to wait until cross traffic clears on the other road before trying to get across.
After a bungled investigation by federal agents, the best that can be done to get justice for a slain cyclist is a pair of misdemeanor charges. Charges Filed In Bicyclist's Death From other reports for which I can't create links it appears that because of treaties the driver in this case has to be charged by either the federal government or tribal police, and tribal police can only charge misdemeanors with a maximum of one year in jail. The cyclist was hit while riding on the shoulder of Old US66 through tribal lands in NM.
NYPD is about to cost the city again as yet another lawsuit is filed against them. Family of dead Williamsburg cyclist sues NYPD for video footage and Family Of Killed Cyclist Mathieu Lefevre Sues NYPD For Withholding Information Yeah, NYPD is scum when it comes to dealing with cyclists.
A sidewalk cyclist confesses from the Great White North. Urban Scrawl: Confessions of a sidewalk cyclist As I say on numerous occasions, sidewalk cycling is a symptom of bad infrastructure. If you have people that prefer riding on the sidewalk rather than riding in the street, you are doing infrastructure wrong.
More in my blog.
Opus
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| | maschwab  |
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1/6/2012
at 3:26:46 PM |
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Murder One (and 45 years in prison) for a hit and run of a person on a bicycle can even be done in Chicago. Just find the front license plate under the body and witnesses that describe the car backing up over the victim for a second pass and going forward over the body for a third pass.
articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-12-05/news/0112050262_1_testify-courtroom-verdict
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| | OpusthePoet |
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| Lifetime: 15,605 mi
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| Member No. 7276 |
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| Home: Garland, TX |
| Rans Fusion
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| RBENT |
| posted
1/7/2012
at 4:47:01 PM |
| post #9 viewed 1352 times |
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Our first wreck links today are 2 links from the Great White North. This is their slow period for cycling, what with the roads being covered in snow and ice (not impossible to ride in but experience and special equipment are needed to do so safely). The first of those links is a report on a man who downed 4 oz. of straight rum and then went driving and hit a cyclist back in 2008 finally getting sentenced for the crime. Impaired driver gets 2 years for injuring cyclist The cyclist is deaf and vision impaired and has been unable to work since the wreck, basically making him retired prematurely (boy do I know how that feels) and because of Canada's social safety networks will not be uncomfortable, but he would really rather be working and doing the things he used to love, like riding his bike.
Second link is to the second trial to sentence the guy that ran over 5 cyclists riding in the bike lane back in 2009 (AKA the Kanata 5). Crown wants 4-year sentence for driver All of the victims have had diminished quality of life since the wreck, with one having to use a walker to get around and an eyepatch to combat his double vision when he reads. Fortunately for the guilty driver, I am not on the jury that decides his sentence, because I would stick his butt in prison until all of his victims recover from their injuries.
Timeline of a hit-and-run bike wreck in L.A. CA. Scanner Report: Hit-and-Run Incident Reveals Personal Angle [PHOTOS] This was an article Joe Friday would have loved, as it was "just the facts" as they appeared on the street.
As 2012 starts there was a wreck in TX out in the Panhandle (which is about as close to WoaB World HQ as Memphis is). Cycle fatalities uncommon, officials say If you look at the crime scene pictures they have a thin strip of good, non-chip sealed pavement where the bikes were hit as a "bike accommodation" with gnarly, "babyhead" chip seal on either side, plus another lane that cars can use to pass (one way on either side of the freeway) and this was a hit-from-behind wreck. LEO is excusing the driver by claiming the sun was in his eyes.
Another wreck in TX, a solo crash in Ft. Worth. Cardiologist killed in bike crash left a worldwide legacy The coroner's report indicates the cyclist died of a broken neck sustained in a solo wreck. There is no safety equipment in the world you can wear riding a bicycle that will prevent this kind of injury. There are such devices for motorcycle riders, but they would cause severe overheating if you tried to wear one while riding a bicycle, and they are only minimally effective against cervical injury caused by rotation of the skull in relation to the rest of the neck, so while it might have kept the cyclist alive in this wreck it still would not have prevented either the wreck or the broken neck, it just would have made the broken neck survivable. That is if he didn't die from heat stroke first.
More from the rest of the world, plus Infrastructure! and recalls on defective helmets, in my blog.
opus
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| | OpusthePoet |
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| Lifetime: 15,605 mi
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| Member No. 7276 |
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| Home: Garland, TX |
| Rans Fusion
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| RBENT |
| posted
1/9/2012
at 3:02:45 PM |
| post #10 viewed 1334 times |
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Up first, a cyclist was able to give a description of the vehicle that hit him before he died. Grandfather on Bicycle Killed in Hit-and-Run Crash A white truck was seen leaving the area has been linked as the weapon vehicle in this wreck after the victim told a witness that was the vehicle that hit him. There was nothing given on the actual mode of the wreck, so I can't tell you how to avoid it in the case of a similar wreck happening to you. but for the victim to remain conscious to describe the weapon vehicle before dying...
In GA they are finally starting to get the idea, that in hit-and-run it's not if you knew you had a wreck that's the important part it's that you had a wreck and left the scene because you did not pay attention to what your vehicle was doing. Cedartown man charged in accident that injured six year old girl From what little I can put together about this wreck the trailer cut over the corner where the little girl was waiting for the truck to get out of her way so she could continue her bike ride. There is nothing a cyclist can do to avoid a wreck when they are not actually riding their bike.
Moving north from GA to MA, a cyclist is hit by a car. Man riding bicycle in Brockton injured in collision with car From the pictures I can determine that the cyclist was hit from the right by the passenger side of the Caddy, but I can't draw any determination of who was where when which would be required to figure out how to avoid this wreck. From the one shot it looks like there may be a bike lane at the scene, but the mode of the wreck indicates this may have been an intersection wreck of some kind. Again I'm faced with a dearth of information beyond the actual fact of the wreck. One scenario that would make sense is the driver was pulling out of a driveway and hit the cyclist in the bike lane while turning left, but I didn't see a driveway or the actual impact location in any of the pictures. I hate all this missing information.
More on the NM driver being charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle almost 2 years after killing a cyclist on Old US66. Family Reacts to Charges Announced in Cyclist's Death and Justice May Finally be Served for Cyclist's Death
There was much more in today's blog post than this including Infrastructure! news and wrecks from all over the Anglophone world.
Opus
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