magohn, there's no indication that Big Pete was going too fast for the "traffic". He ran off the side of the pavement is all.
Big Pete, Crashes happen. Be glad it was minor. Not using clipless doesn't always make much difference either. I was riding (on a road) with a friend and did much what you described. I was riding my recumbent with clipless pedals, and my hands stayed on the bars, and my feet on the pedals. So I bruised my hip and had road rash on my butt. Ouchie.