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-   -   Bicyclist Kills Pedestrian (https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-safety/809393-bicyclist-kills-pedestrian.html)

akohekohe 04-05-12 07:04 PM

Bicyclist Kills Pedestrian
 
From the April 2 Honolulu Star Advertiser:


Bicyclist kills pedestrian, 80
An 80-year-old woman died early Sunday morning after she was struck in a Hotel Street crosswalk by a bicyclist who ran a red light, police said.
An Emergency Medical Services spokesman said the woman sustained head injuries Saturday alter falling to the pavement and was taken to the Queen's Medical Center
in critical condition. She died of her injuries
at 2:21 a.m., police said.
The woman had been walking north in a crosswalk on Hotel Street when she was hit
by the bicyclist, who disregarded a red signal while traveling east on Hotel Street, police said.
Hawaii News Now, citing the Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office, identified her as Dionicia Leoning.

squirtdad 04-05-12 07:11 PM

Similar happened in San Francisco a year or two ago.

totally avoidable.

Red light = Stop. Bicycle, car, motorcycle, pedestrian

akohekohe 04-05-12 07:22 PM


Originally Posted by squirtdad (Post 14063857)
Similar happened in San Francisco a year or two ago.

I believe pedestrian fatalities from bicycle/pedestrian collisions are more common than people think. This was a short item buried in the local news section. It is usual for this newpaper to report a traffic fatality by saying "this was the xx traffic fatality so far this year compared with xx at this time last year," and the fact that they didn't say that in this article leads me to believe that they are not going to count this as a traffic death. I'll be interested to see if it shows up in the 2012 FARS.

nelson249 04-05-12 07:23 PM

Friend of my family was struck and eventually died of injuries inflicted by a "cyclist" using the sidewalk as his exclusive speedway. Similarly my grandfather was hit a number of years ago but fortunately that was when he was still spry enough that the cyclist glanced off him and was injured instead. Doesn't bring back the victim but I hope they charge the cyclist in this case.

mtbikerinpa 04-05-12 07:26 PM

Further confirming to people that the sidewalk is for walking not wheeling...

Commodus 04-05-12 07:39 PM

Put him in jail for a very long time.

B. Carfree 04-05-12 08:11 PM


Originally Posted by akohekohe (Post 14063897)
I believe pedestrian fatalities from bicycle/pedestrian collisions are more common than people think. This was a short item buried in the local news section. It is usual for this newpaper to report a traffic fatality by saying "this was the xx traffic fatality so far this year compared with xx at this time last year," and the fact that they didn't say that in this article leads me to believe that they are not going to count this as a traffic death. I'll be interested to see if it shows up in the 2012 FARS.

They may be more common than people think, but that doesn't make them common. A pedestrian and cyclist collided in a sidewalk in S.F. this week which resulted in the death of the pedestrian. One of the MANY news articles regarding this incident in the S.F. Chronicle notes that there was one other such incident in the past year. However, there were at least 17 pedestrians killed by motorists in that time. I doubt if any of those generated any news coverage; if any did, then I didn't see it. Dog bites man: no biggee. Man bites dog: headline stuff.

As a side note: in the most recent pedestrian/cyclist collision, the cyclist appears to have legally entered the intersection prior to his light turning red, but a large group of pedestrians swamped the crosswalk while he was still in the intersection. In the prior incident, the cyclist ran a red light and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter (probation, community service, $15k retribution).

CB HI 04-06-12 12:21 AM

This happened on a Saturday night apparently at Fort Street Mall on Hotel Street. That date/time and location make it likely that the cyclist was a homeless person. Less likely would be a utility cyclist. Extremely unlikely are commuter or recreational cyclist.

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/1...-bicycle-crash

Fort Street Mall is an old road that has been cobble stoned and turned into a wide pedestrian mall (no bicycles allowed). The pedestrian crosswalk across Hotel Street is 40 feet wide.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Fort+S...aii+96813&z=21
(if you do not have an direct overhead view, pull down traffic button and click 45 degree off)

Hotel Street use to be the main Honolulu location for hookers to apply their trade. As I understand it, to move the hookers out of the area, Hotel Street was turned into a bus and bicycle only road. The lights are timed for the buses and when the Fort Street Mall light goes yellow, a cyclist does not have time to make it through the 40 foot crosswalk before the light turns red unless they are doing over 20 mph. The pedestrians often only look for buses and step into the road before their walk signal comes on. Cyclist on Hotel Street have to be extra careful to avoid hitting pedestrians.

Side story: about one month ago I had to ride down the street at about 10 mph, visually surveying environmental issues along Hotel Street. The light turned yellow right as I got to the stop line. I only made it half way through the cross walk before pedestrians stepped out and I had to stop midway in the crosswalk. Out of the corner of my eye I see a 20 something guy coming from the other side of Fort Street Mall intentionally walking right at me. He stops right next to me and gives it “Your blocking the crosswalk”. I simply told him to “Stop being stupid”. My stopped six feet of bicycle was a major issue for him in a 40 foot wide crosswalk, oh well.

A couple blocks down, it is always a challenge to avoid hitting J-walking lawyers crossing Hotel Street between their high rise offices and the court house.

So is this an example of a rouge red light running cyclist killing people - not likely. Is this an example of a cyclist (homeless or not) and pedestrians not using the extra care that this pedestrian crossing needs - yes. Is this another example of the city not properly timing traffic lights to include cyclist and thus endangering everyone - absolutely.

Blame scale:
City 50%
Cyclist 45%
Pedestrian 5%

Digital_Cowboy 04-06-12 01:43 AM


Originally Posted by akohekohe (Post 14063897)
I believe pedestrian fatalities from bicycle/pedestrian collisions are more common than people think. This was a short item buried in the local news section. It is usual for this newpaper to report a traffic fatality by saying "this was the xx traffic fatality so far this year compared with xx at this time last year," and the fact that they didn't say that in this article leads me to believe that they are not going to count this as a traffic death. I'll be interested to see if it shows up in the 2012 FARS.

Yeah, it's probably one of those unreported/uncounted crimes. It'd be interesting to know what exactly the numbers are.

dynodonn 04-06-12 07:43 AM

Locally, I haven't heard of a ped death due to their being struck by a cyclist, but I did read in the local newspaper, a few years back, about a woman being struck and severely injured on the sidewalk by a fast riding cyclist.

When it comes to hearing about local peds being killed or injured by motorists, that is a regularity.

phoebeisis 04-06-12 03:22 PM

In respect the the recent San Francisco pedestrian death
One article claims the cyclist belongs to some "cycling application thing" that tracks routes and speeds
The claim now is he was doing 35 mph at time of crash.
San Francisco is hilly?? so I guess he was going downhill.
Not sure what bike speed limits are( safe bet I don't approach them)-same as cars probably??
Charlie

Seattle Forrest 04-06-12 03:36 PM

It happens. It's extremely rare for a cyclist to kill a pedestrian, but it happens.


Originally Posted by mtbikerinpa (Post 14063909)
Further confirming to people that the sidewalk is for walking not wheeling...

Did the case this thread is about happen on a sidewalk?

eugenek 04-06-12 11:24 PM


This happened on a Saturday night apparently at Fort Street Mall on Hotel Street. That date/time and location make it likely that the cyclist was a homeless person. Less likely would be a utility cyclist. Extremely unlikely are commuter or recreational cyclist.
There is an account online that says that the incident happened at 6:13 p.m. on Saturday.


The lights are timed for the buses and when the Fort Street Mall light goes yellow, a cyclist does not have time to make it through the 40 foot crosswalk before the light turns red unless they are doing over 20 mph.
I don't follow. What's wrong with crossing when the light is green?

The whole incident reminds me of a story a year or two ago, when a woman in her eighties died after being hit by a 4 (?) year old kid riding a bicycle on a sidewalk, and her family tried to sue the kid for damages. Unless there's solid evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the cyclist (for example, proof that he did run a red light), punishing him should be difficult.

CB HI 04-07-12 04:57 AM


Originally Posted by eugenek (Post 14068944)
I don't follow. What's wrong with crossing when the light is green?

The whole incident reminds me of a story a year or two ago, when a woman in her eighties died after being hit by a 4 (?) year old kid riding a bicycle on a sidewalk, and her family tried to sue the kid for damages. Unless there's solid evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the cyclist (for example, proof that he did run a red light), punishing him should be difficult.

I am assuming that your confusion is on the street / crossing set up. Look at the news photos and google overhead. The crosswalk is the equivalent of a mid-block crossing. Buses & cyclist get green and red lights. Pedestrians get walk and don't walk signals. The green / red lights are timed with short yellows the barely give busses time to make it through the crossing before the light turns red. Cyclist going less than 20 mph do not have time to make it through the width of the pedestrian crossing if the light turns yellow about the time the cyclist hits the stop line. Add that to no all red interval and pedestrians stepping of early if they do not see any buses, and cyclist/pedestrians are set up to collide by the cities improper (to little yellow) timing of the light.

Many Honolulu lights do not give cyclist time to make it through the intersections if they get a yellow just after crossing the stop line.

bizzz111 04-19-12 12:42 PM

happened in Renton, WA as well, but on a bikepath (pedestrian changed directions quickly without looking). As a result, we now have 10mph speed limit on Renton bike paths.

Too bad they don't lower the car speed limit anytime a cyclist/pedestrian is killed by a car.

dynodonn 04-19-12 12:52 PM


Originally Posted by bizzz111 (Post 14119181)
happened in Renton, WA as well, but on a bikepath (pedestrian changed directions quickly without looking). As a result, we now have 10mph speed limit on Renton bike paths.

Too bad they don't lower the car speed limit anytime a cyclist/pedestrian is killed by a car.

Yeah, go figure.

Good old 85 percentile.

Camilo 04-22-12 04:24 PM


Originally Posted by bizzz111 (Post 14119181)
happened in Renton, WA as well, but on a bikepath (pedestrian changed directions quickly without looking). As a result, we now have 10mph speed limit on Renton bike paths.

Too bad they don't lower the car speed limit anytime a cyclist/pedestrian is killed by a car.

Was it a bike path or a multi use path? The reason I ask is that I think a 10 mph speed limit is perfectly reasonable on a multi use path. In fact, if that rider was going faster than that and/or not proceeding in as cautious a way possible with hands on brakes, I would have to be convinced he's not really at fault, no matter what the pedestrian did. I will also say , that any adult pedestrian who makes a significant change of course without looking while on a path that also includes cyclists is an idiot. If it's a kid, well, that's what kids do - live with it and make sure you ride safe.

CB HI 04-22-12 09:26 PM


Originally Posted by Camilo (Post 14131394)
Was it a bike path or a multi use path? The reason I ask is that I think a 10 mph speed limit is perfectly reasonable on a multi use path. In fact, if that rider was going faster than that and/or not proceeding in as cautious a way possible with hands on brakes, I would have to be convinced he's not really at fault, no matter what the pedestrian did. I will also say , that any adult pedestrian who makes a significant change of course without looking while on a path that also includes cyclists is an idiot. If it's a kid, well, that's what kids do - live with it and make sure you ride safe.

Well, it use to be a bike path that used federal transportation funding to allow cyclist to commute to work and reduce the number of cars in on the road, but many walkers and government officials decided to ignore it's intended purpose and start calling it a MUP. Then they started blaming cyclist trying to commute to work for all the conflicts. Then they decided to require an unreasonable slow speed limit for the evil commuting cyclist.

Current plans call for changing the paths designation next year to "Off Road Sidewalk".

Camilo 04-30-12 02:16 PM


Originally Posted by CB HI (Post 14132599)
Well, it use to be a bike path that used federal transportation funding to allow cyclist to commute to work and reduce the number of cars in on the road, but many walkers and government officials decided to ignore it's intended purpose and start calling it a MUP. Then they started blaming cyclist trying to commute to work for all the conflicts. Then they decided to require an unreasonable slow speed limit for the evil commuting cyclist.

Current plans call for changing the paths designation next year to "Off Road Sidewalk".

Bummer. And if you try to argue the original intent of the path, you're probably accused of being exclusionary (is that a word?) to other users, elitist, etc.


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