Late report after working all day, the Feed

This report got started very late because I was at my church selling baked goods for our annual Spring Bazaar (Bizzare). I spent way too much time on my feet, which are hurting like the dickens, and afterwards we had a little Shearing of the Sheep ceremony, where I lost my hair and beard as I transition to Summer. I had to tighten the chin strap on my helmet after the event, and my head feels much lighter.

Up first by reason of proximity is a fatal wreck in San Antonio. Bicyclist killed in Schertz accident OK, this is another one of those wrecks that just makes my blood boil. The cyclist was JRA, minding his own business when the truck pulls out from a driveway moving fast enough to kill him on impact. So, this should be a simple case, right? Yes, simple as in no charges brought against the truck driver for violating the cyclist’s right of way and killing him.TANJ!

The big story of the day is the cyclist that was hit-and-run by a city bus in NYC. Cyclist Killed By MTA Bus In Manhattan and Police: MTA Bus Kills Bicyclist on Upper East Side and Delivery bicyclist killed in collision with city bus and finally a video that I can’t watch here at WoaB Cyclist Hit By Runaway Bus – New York Post OK distilling the text articles down we find that the cyclist was going west to east, was hit by the front of the bus so had to be in view for at least a second, at this point nobody knows who had the right of way, and as of the last article posted the bus had not been found, so onboard video of the wreck has not been reviewed. Regardless of who was at fault, the bus driver committed a hit-and-run, and must be prosecuted. There is no provision in the law that allows a driver to “not know” that they have hit someone, there is only did the driver leave the scene of the wreck without lending aid to the victim, leaving contact data and giving a statement to the police in case of a fatality or serious injury. None of those happened in this case, so the crime has been committed. Now the question is will the police bring charges and will the prosecution prosecute?

Moving halfway across the country to OH the trial of the drunk driver accused of killing a cyclist continues. Trial Continues In Crash That Killed Cyclist Let’s review the facts of the case as they are known: The driver blew a BAC% of 0.109 at the scene, the driver had been drinking for almost 24 hours and awake even longer, whether the cyclist had reflective gear and a tail light or not was not relevant because depending on which web site you believe sunrise was either before the wreck or 5 minutes after, so daylight conditions prevailed, the cyclist was riding legally on the road, not facing traffic, and oh, yes THE DRIVER WAS DRUNK. That one fact negates anything the cyclist might have done. To avoid a wreck like this as a cyclist, use the hit-from-behind protocols. It couldn’t hurt, and you might save your life.

Moving about as far west as we can and still stay in the Lower 48, a minor celebrity in Seattle dies in a mysterious bike wreck. Seattle stage actor dies following bicycle accident The report was long on obituary, miniscule on cause of death.

Moving to Jolly Olde we get another report on the HGV wreck that killed a cyclist in London, Cyclist killed in HGV collision named as student from Spain Nothing added to the story besides the name of the cyclist and official reporting that getting hit by a big truck causes multiple major injuries that are non-survivable.

Moving a little further north to Scotland a woman driver hits a cyclist, who returns the favor. Driver on A8 injured by cyclist’s punch in the face Can’t say I haven’t wanted to do that a few times, a day!

Loads of Infrastructure! articles today: this one was close to home. Death on Dallas trail sparks concern about safety of Austin’s trails

Baltimore and the entire state of MD. A call for better bicycle safety This might help, enforce the law and prosecute people that hit cyclists in bike lanes. What a concept!

The widow of a pedestrian killed by a delivery cyclist on the sidewalk calls for cyclists to stay in the street. NYer Of The Week: Widow Of Man Killed By Cyclist Now Pushes For Road Safety Education The “road safety education” is just so much palp, what she really wants is to get cyclists off the sidewalks. Problem is until cyclists feel that riding in the street is safe they will continue to ride on the sidewalk. Even so cyclists riding on the sidewalks isn’t the real danger to pedestrians as drivers kill pedestrians by driving on the sidewalks at a rate of about 1 a week in NYC, while cyclists kill about 1 a year in the city. I would prefer that cyclists ride in the street, preferably in a bike lane or other bicycle infrastructure. Ideally, all 3 modes would be separated with each having a space, with consequences for violating that space by the less vulnerable user. And I mean that for bicycles violating pedestrian space as much as I mean that for motor vehicles violating bicycle and pedestrian space. Everybody has to have a “safe” place for transportation that doesn’t require “buying in” with a motor vehicle.

And that’s all the news that gives me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

A rather full Feed today

Nothing much going on in my personal life today, shopping and life maintenance activities, that’s about it.

Up first is a second cyclist killed in the most deadliest county in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bicycle. Second Cyclist in 2 Days Killed by Car in Sunrise The first 2 cycling fatalities in the US are in the same Florida county. This was the same county that led the country in 2009 in cyclists killed, one of a group of 3 FL counties that had almost 8% of the US cycling fatalities and 50% of the FL cycling fatalities in 2009. BTW this was another hit-from-behind wreck, you know where to find instructions on how to avoid a similar wreck.

An idiot cyclist with an idiot lawyer in CA. Santa Cruz City Council to vote on crash claim: Rider says bike lane crossing over Beach Street tracks unsafe I’m sorry but making a bicycle crossing over a railroad track 100% safe is impossible. There is a finite chance of injury every time a cyclist crosses a railroad track no matter how skilled the rider. It’s a very small chance, but it’s there.

In NYC police are cracking down on bicyclists that don’t signal turns. NYPD Crackdown on Brooklyn Cyclists Who Don’t Signal Turns Really? All the drivers now signal their turns and drive the (30 MPH) speed limit so you need to take care of the cyclists? Or is it you can catch the cyclists easily, but not so much the drivers.

From the wilds of Canuckistan a lawless cyclist gets a head injury. Duncan cyclist airlifted to Victoria hospital with severe head injury New Year’s Day “‘It’s not confirmed if he was wearing a helmet,’ said Day, noting bicycle helmets are mandatory in B.C.” OK this is a case where a styrofoam magic hat might have prevented a head injury, or it might be a case of emergency personnel losing the remains of the helmet while caring for the victim. The victim may have collided with the curb and a power pole which exceeds the impact capability of helmets certified to strictly bicycle standards which are only good for one impact.

We have a huge lump of stories from Jolly Olde today with this one leading off about a cop running over a cyclist in Scotland> 9am Briefing: Police officer was driving car that killed Hogmanay reveller Not much here, but it’s interesting to note that not even cops are immune to hit-and-run psychology.

Still wandering around the UK, the firm that employed a drunken driver that was talking on his cell phone when he killed a cyclist “responds” to accusations. Fatal accidents and “buzzed” riders – Thames Materials responds I don’t know what to say about this one, but under US laws the firm would be at least partially on the hook for their driver.

Cyclists are still hopping mad over the very lax sentence handed down for hitting a cyclist from behind and killing her. `Cover up’ claim over cyclist’s road death Lots of reading there, but not much solid information. Lots of guessing going on as to why the charges were reduced so drastically.

Notice is posted that a cyclist’s death is under investigation. Inquest into cyclist death From other reports I have read on this wreck, the cyclist was not actually drunk in spite of having just left a drinking establishment on the night in question.

And that’s all the news that gives me fits today, I got lots more links but the stories are either very old, or don’t have any real information. In other words I got a lot of links from the UK today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

It’s Saturday and I have muggle things to do

I have things to do so this might get a little terse. That is unlike my usual loquaciousness this will be short.

Up first because I felt like it is a UK wreck report with clear reporting on who is at fault in a bike wreck… Cyclist hurt crashing into closed Blackburn cemetery gates Apparently they locked a group of kids inside the cemetery and when they came to leave the gates were in the way… Don’t read the comments.

More on the hit-and-run of a cyclist in SoCal. POLICE SEEK HIT AND RUN DRIVER WHO INJURED CYCLIST This was the cyclist carrying a six pack of beer in a backpack. I read in a story that I can’t link to that police are claiming the beer saved the cyclist from serious injury at the cans ruptured and dissipated the force of the impact, but when I looked the report up to link to today I got a 404 error. Anyway again, hit-from-behind protocol, links at the top of all my blog pages, yadda yadda yadda.

Back in the UK the sentence of a driver that hit a cyclist head on while speeding has been slightly increased. Stephen McKay’s fatal crash ban now four years OK he still only has 6 weeks of community service for killing a cyclist, but his driving ban (and hopefully the amount of time he can be sent to prison if caught driving?) has been extended to four years.

In Enn Zed an injured cyclist advises everyone to be more careful on the roads. Cyclist urges all road users to take more care This was the right cross crash that is the equivalent of the left cross in countries that drive on the right. That the cyclist managed to avoid getting hit by the second wheel of the rear tandem axle rig on the trailer after getting hit by the first wheel is nothing short of amazing and speaks to the resilience of youth.

In the US a Ghost Bike has been installed to remember a cyclist killed in Lawrence KS. Ghost bike memorial honors cyclist killed in hit-and-run Today is the one-year anniversary of her death by a drunk driver that left the scene and failed to render aid. RIP Rachel Leek.

And that’s all the news that gives me fits today. Now go do something awesome like ride a bicycle.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Not holding much hope for Gigi, and the Feed

Gigi’s fate is in the hands of the GPD. I know, that is a scary thought for me too.

Up first because something had to be is a report on a cop car hitting a cyclist in the bike lane! Cyclist injured in collision with Boulder deputy’s cruiser Long story short, the cop pulled out of a parking lot and T-boned a cyclist on a state highway in the bike lane. State cops investigated because not in local yokel’s jurisdiction, state cops give local cop ticket for violating the right of way of the cyclist in the highway. Cop faces big fine under new state law that went into effect about a year ago. As for how to avoid, you can’t without a big “S” on your chest.

A MI man is injured while riding a bicycle on I 94. Interstate 94 cyclist in fair condition Alcohol was believed to be involved.

What appears to be another red-light runner gets hit in GA. Bicycle rider injured in wreck with SUV in Warner Robins If you’re going to run the red light make sure there are no cars coming.

Another rider down in Sacto. Sacramento bicyclist killed by driver Not a lot of infor mation besides the existence of the wreck, the link to the other article is dead now and just goes to the media outlet’s home page.

From Jolly Olde, killing a cyclist will result in significant amounts of community service. Driver who killed cyclist escapes jail sentence more Ban for driver in cyclist death crash The picture of the killer emphasizes his inner moron, he looks like he might have a double-digit IQ on a good day. That might be why he wasn’t sent to jail, too stupid for it to make an impression on him. Let’s recount: driving above the speed limit on a dark wet road with loose items in the back of the truck that upset the balance of the truck when he went too fast around the first corner making his truck go out of control by the middle of the second corner which then made him hit the cyclist. On top of that he has several charges for assault and brandishing makeshift weapons. He doesn’t need jail, he needs an institution!

Here’s a good one: 3 kids admit stealing a scooter and running over a cyclist with it but since the owner can’t be traced they don’t get charged with the theft, just the hit-and-run. Three13-year-olds held in 2-month-old accident case No, you aren’t imagining things. In spite of the paper publishing the license plate of the scooter, because the VIN had been removed from the vehicle they were unable to trace the owner who in any case hadn’t reported it stolen (that police could find, but then remember, they couldn’t find the owner in spite of having the plates and the vehicle in their hot little fists).

From Enn Zed, a coroner reports that the deceased cyclist wasn’t wearing the right sort of florescent reflective clothing. ‘Cyclists need to be visible’ If a driver can see the stripes painted on the roads, then that driver can see a cyclist or pedestrian on the roads or they need to be banned from driving on account of being too stupid to drive. Note that in this case the cyclist had reflective florescent panels on her clothing and bike, a bright LED blinky light and was 15cm (6″) off the side of the road, but the driver was 45 cm (18″) off the side of the road to avoid the trucks in the other lane. To admonish cyclists for not being visible enough at this point is pure hogwash. The only thing that would have made her more visible would be a police car with its emergency lights flashing driving behind her.

After a cyclist dies from what could have been survivable injuries FL politicians reopen a closed fire station near the end of a major bridge and tourist attraction. Crandon Park Fire Station To Reopen 24-7, For Now There is strong speculation that the cyclist might have lived had there been quick response from emergency personnel, but more than a half hour elapsed between the wreck and first responders showing on scene. First responders are a vital but mostly invisible part of good cycling infrastructure.

Back in TX a group of cyclist is taking off on a 800 mile+ trip to honor fallen LEO. Bike riders trekking to remember fallen officers That’s one of the problems with TX, if you want to ride around the state to do something, it takes a month and you ride almost a thousand miles to do it. Good LEO are vital to riding safely on the roads, bad LEO on the other hand Just makes things worse.

Finally it’s that time of year again, Ride of Silence is coming up. It’s time for cyclists to hit the road and Anderson cyclists join worldwide Ride of Silence also Local cyclists band together for ride of silence set for May 19; route changed slightly this year Since I am minus a bicycle at this point I don’t know if I will make the Mother Ride for the RoS.

And that’s all I have today, updates on Gigi as they come in.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Bicycle zombies take over the news, people still getting killed by cars, the Feed

Yes, “zombies” are all the rage now, and have spread from the UK to the US. In the meantime cars are still killing people at a rate of nearly 110 people a day in the US, and nobody is saying anything about that (except me and a few other bicycle fanatics). I feel a rant coming on, and I don’t think it is going to be pretty.

Up first is another report on the waste of human skin that had 20 beers before going out and driving into 2 cyclists, killing one. Driver who downed 20 beers, killed cyclist gets 25-40 years in prison This is the guy that in a previously linked report the victim’s mother gave him a Bible and said he was going to heaven. I hope she’s wrong about that, because if there was ever a guy that deserved to suffer, this is the guy. Interesting that the previous reports said the disgusting piece of filth got 45 years determinate sentence, but this report has him as serving 25-40. I wonder who’s right.

In other court news the driver that dragged a cyclist 860 feet under her car while the man was screaming and beating on the car (that part was new information), is facing undisclosed criminal charges in the case. Driver of car that dragged bicyclist in Natick to face criminal charge The complaint was filed Nov. 25 in Framingham District Court against Lorraine Peterson, 61, of 359 Berlin Road, though police redacted the specific charge. Apparently public records are not public for certain people.

More on the wreck that killed the driver while only slightly injuring the cyclist he hit. Vehicle crashes kill 4, injure 5 Not a good day to have been driving a car, or riding a bicycle for that matter. If I’m reading the report right the vehicle hit the cyclist on the north side of the street and then crossed the road to hit a tree on the south side of the street. That ain’t normal. Hitting a cyclist isn’t what I would call “normal” but the circumstances of the wreck speak to me of a person who was dieing before they hit the cyclist, and the tree just finished the job. This sounds like a stroke or heart attack in progress when he left the road the first time and grazed the cyclist and then tried to stay on the road and pulled left on the wheel, then died. I know that’s an awful lot to pull from a tiny report…

Another hit-and-run in LA CA. Cyclist struck in West Hollywood hit-and-run Not much to go on in this report, but it appears to be a typical right hook wreck, good that the cyclist survived.

In Scotland a cyclist has a run in with a bus and survives. Cyclist in serious condition after accident with bus and from the Beeb Cyclist injured in bus accident It’s good to know that you won’t get hurt driving a bus into a woman riding a bicycle [/sarcasm]. For those who live on my side of the pond, it appears the woman was trying to turn across traffic when she got hit. They drive on the wrong side of the roads in Scotland so you have to turn right to cross traffic, not left.

Someone driving a silver Mercedes is going to have a rough time of it when he gets caught. Cyclist seriously injured in hit-and-run As per usual in UK wreck reports I can’t say anything about how to avoid a similar wreck, other then to always be alert, this cyclist being able to say make and color may very well result in the miscreant being brought to justice.

And what seems obvious as the nose on your face is debated in the UK. Cyclists are not a menace, Spectator debate decides In the end the argument was mass times velocity, would you rather get hit by 200 pounds going 20 MPH, or 4000 pounds going 35 and up? In the overall scheme of things it was like getting hit in a rugby game versus getting hit by an artillery shell. Every once in a while someone will die in a rugby game, but not often, but get hit by a car and you stand a good chance of dying or being permanently injured.

A cyclist is injured in a left hook wreck in Oz. Cyclist injured after collision with car I noticed the cyclist got a few licks in on the car as he was hit, tearing off the passenger side mirror and crumpling the hood a bit and only sustaining minor injuries in the process. As they say “Good on ya!” for returning fire in the face of the enemy ;)

Still trying to figure out if the guy that hit a cyclist in South Africa was just stupid or culpable. Cops hunt for evidence in cyclist death Hit from behind in the cycle lane, and there’s a question of culpability? Did these guys get their training from AZ LEO?

And the “bicycle zombies” meme makes its way to these shores. ‘iPod zombies’ blamed for UK road deaths Note that in this article from the people that actually make the iPod, using one on any vehicle that one is in control of is not a good idea. Bicycles because you might get hit by a car you didn’t hear, cars because they distract you from your environment, and you already have way too many distractions while driving a car anyway.

An opinion about the ruckus over the recent pedestrian deaths by bicycle in the City of Brotherly Love. Road Rage at Philly Newspapers Why are Ronnie and Stu whipping up fear when cars and trucks pose a bigger threat? Because they don’t like bicycles in their streets, and making then out to be a danger to pedestrians arouses fears that they can use to get them legislated away from their city…

On the same subject but from a different direction. Registering bicycles will not prevent any accidents If there was just some way we could easily identify cars so that when the hit someone and drive off the owner could be brought to justice… and pedestrians they just wander around like they own the place, we need some way of identifying pedestrians too… :P

I hope NY has a better time of it than TX when they pass their 3 foot passing law. NYS Assemblymember to Introduce Safe Passage Law for Cyclists This is desperately needed legal infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.

And SF finally gets to build bicycle infrastructure again. Eyes On the Street: SF Gets Its First New Bike Lane in Three Years The paint was barely dry before people started using the new bike lane, who had been trying to ride vehicularly but because of driver attitudes were not having a good go of it.

And that’s all I have today, but there will be a rant later, I still haven’t figured out how I’m going to phrase it yet.

Billed @$.02, Opus

I can hardly lift my arms, but here’s the Feed

Well, I pruned some more today, on the live oak out back. I don’t have much upper body strength or endurance any more, so I lopped a few branches off with the pruner and had to call it quits. Then I filtered the Feed and now here I am to post the reports and make comments.

Another SWSS/SWCC wreck in the Pelican State (Louisiana). Cyclist killed at 171 and La. 394 and Bicycle rider killed near DeRidder I find the description of the wreck highly suspect. Especially the part where he was going east on 394 and then turned around to go east on 394…

What sounds like a left cross wreck in CA. Cyclist killed in traffic accident identified CA has the same laws about turning vehicles as TX that requires turning traffic to yield to traffic that is not turning, whether that traffic is oncoming traffic on the same street or road or traffic on the street or road that is being turned on. Hopefully there will be at least a ticket filed against the driver that killed the cyclist.

Another report on the DC cyclist killed by a cop cruiser. Md. cyclist who was killed by police cruiser identified Yeah, anyone that believes the cop was going under the speed limit, I have some oceanfront property in El Paso I would like to sell. I’m not saying the cyclist wasn’t at fault, just saying the likelihood of the cop driving under the speed limit is so low as to be invisible. The fact that they made the statement thus renders all of their other statements suspect. The grain of salt required is about the size of a semi-trailer.

Another report on the kid killed in DE. Teen cyclist killed on 273 ID’d Again the rider was thrown into a car that was in front of both vehicles. This indicates to me that traffic was stopped and the kid did not run the red light like the cops say.

More on the NY state cyclist that was hit by a transit bus. Cops: Greenburgh cyclist was riding alongside bus; bikers invited to ride at funeral The cyclist appears to have been doing exactly what he should have, I still don’t know why LEO haven’t charged the bus driver with running down the cyclist. NY law requires the passing vehicle to pass safely, which means far enough away that you don’t scare the other operator to death. That didn’t happen this time. So why no ticket or charges?

A TX lawyer thinks that Gov. Goodhair’s veto of the Vulnerable Road Users Bill (SB488) may have contributed to the driver that killed 2 people on a tandem bicycle not getting any kind of ticket or charge. Texas Governor Perry Vetoes Safe Passing Bill: Cyclist Deaths The Result? I just want to know what the Helotes LEOs were thinking when they decided that the guy in the truck did nothing illegal when he killed the 2 cyclists.

A case in Scotland that just floored me as the police report wasn’t allowed to be read into evidence. Scottish jury finds case against driver who killed cyclist ‘not proven’ Of course it wasn’t proven, the judge threw out the most important evidence against the driver. Again, what was he thinking?

Again I had to pick myself up off the floor when I read about a multiple repeat drunk driver was facing in the way of charges in Enn Zed. Drink-drive charge ‘appallingly inadequate’ “Downer, who has two previous drink driving convictions, could face a maximum of five years behind bars.” Five years for drunk driving that killed somebody, that’s just a travesty.

And a trio of people that train together for bicycle riding suffered similar wrecks. Cyclist tells of horror crash The man was killed while the wife was recovering from a previous crash, and the personal trainer was in a coma for 5 weeks from the wreck that killed the man… What a mess.

The 2010 Tour of the Battenkill will have a stage dedicated to Veterans. 2010 Tour of the Battenkill Announces Ride to Benefit Injured Veterans If you can do this next year Witch on a Bicycle says do it.

And that’s all for tonight.

Billed @$.02, Opus

A sparse Feed and not much to it

Now why couldn’t I get a Feed like this yesterday, when I needed it? There was an entire report this time out of the 4 I normally get that had nothing but wreck reports from motorcycle races. Sorry for your pain guys but there are other places for that than here. Also instead of my normal 4 reports I had only 2, when I should have had 3 this morning. I had one report that came in late last night that went onto the post I made just before 1AM local time, normally that would have been in today’s post, which still leaves me one short. And that one Feed report had mostly bicycle wrecks from outside North America, so people reading this on BikeJournal.com won’t have much to read. And if you want to find out why I posted to my blog at 1AM and didn’t make a post in the wrecks thread, well you will have to go to my blog and read the most recent 2 posts. :P

Up first for no particular reason except something has to be first is a report on a wreck in OR where they caught the guy after he ran. Arrest made in hit-and-run that injured cyclist The charges read more like a laundry list:
* Felony Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver
* Assault in the Second Degree
* Reckless Driving
* Initiating a False Report
* Tampering with Physical Evidence
* Driving While Suspended (Misdemeanor)
* Speed Racing
One thing I don’t get is how they can charge with racing when they only suspect there might have been a second car, was he racing with himself? I have done time trial events back when I still drove a car, but they required timing equipment that the perp didn’t have…

Still in OR is the kind of wreck that drives me crazy. Cyclist injured seriously Tuesday on Ninth Street OR has a law that requires drivers to stop when there is someone in the crosswalk, so why wouldn’t you at least slow down a bunch when you see another vehicle stopped at a crosswalk? Are drivers really that self-centered? And why wasn’t the driver in this case cited for failure to yield to a crosswalk? Too many questions?

And another left cross wreck blamed on the cyclist rather than the driver that cut him off. Police report: Cyclist injured after rear ending car Another case of car-head bias on the part of the LEO.

Our first story from the UK, with typical levels of detail and things of interest. Cyclist, 12, injured in road crash Leg and head injuries, but the expect the little guy to fully recover. Get well soon, dude.

And from Scotland, where nothing is cr-r-r-rap (according to my daughter who is now living there) a wreck courtesy of the Beeb. Cyclist seriously hurt in crash I’m sorry but this is cr-r-r-rap!

And another case of worrying about the wrong thing… Target pavement cyclists, say MPs Yeah, I’m going to file this under “over-reacting” and just send the parties involved a case of camomile tea. Drivers kill more people on the sidewalks (pavements) in a week than cyclists do in a year, and the proportion of injuries is about the same, a little higher for cyclists than deaths because of the difference in mass and speed making bicycles just that much less fatal.

And that’s all I have for today, more non-cycling stuff later in the day.

Billed @$.02, Opus