huizar

Not a lot of information here yet, but it looks like the driver has been found to be at fault and the cyclist is in the hospital, and although she sustained serious injury, none of them are life-threatening.

Pair of Clifton crashes result in serious injuries

Here is the vantage point the car's driver would have had heading up the hill on Whitfield Ave as it was getting ready to turn left onto Lowell. As you can see, the road is fairly wide and the cyclist would have most likely been traveling at speed heading down the hill prior to crashing into the car's passenger side. Also, it was only 7 pm at the time the police responded to the incident, so it was by no means dark.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1409...9Q!2e0!6m1!1e1

Chris516

I hope she survives. Please forgive my skepticism. Indirectly, I have experienced three non-cycling deaths in as many months. They were totally unexpected and all younger than me.

FBinNY 

The injuries were reported as not life threatening, and I gather the pros know what they're doing.

This appears to be a classic left cross type accident (r as I call it, a James Dean). Drivers don't see, ignore, or misjudge the speed of approaching bicycle and turn across their path. These are very common but there's some good news in that they're probably the easiest to avoid by cyclists conditioned to expect them and a counter move pre-progammed.

B. Carfree

Ouch! She absolutely pummelled that passenger door and, presumably, the passenger window. That had to hurt immensely. I hope she has a full recovery and that her dentist is highly skilled.

I suspect these left cross incidents are the result of people driving without fully paying attention. They get used to just looking for cars, trucks and other things that can inflict damage on them and they don't even register the presence of cyclists and pedestrians.

I agree with FBNY that it is good to have a pre-programmed reaction to these situations; sometimes that split second saved by knowing what you are going to do is all the difference. I also often do things that both make me more noticeable and allow me to test whether the driver sees me or not (that test has been getting more and more difficult to score as motorists brake later and later in preparation for stops and turns).

Johnny Mullet

That looks like a horrible accident.

FBinNY 

The preprogramed "reaction" sequence begins before the motorist starts his turn. When I see a car approaching the intersection in a way that might indicate a left turn (signals, lane position, slowing, or whatever), I move to my left heading for the center of the lane (having checked for traffic). This raises my profile, and hopefully prevents the turn. When the car starts to turn, I steer straight for his rear bumper, ready to turn left a bit more if he stops, or straighten out in my lane if he continues. Either way I'm covered and only need a small correction to avoid collision.

When incoming traffic makes swinging behind the car too risky because they've stopped broadside and there's no room to pass behind them, I do a last second hard turn with the front brake applied hard. This causes a "high side" flip to the side, and if I've timed it well (so far 3x) I'm thrown across the cars trunk or hood. This takes timing, and you do get bruised a bit, but it's better than a direct front wheel hit that puts your face into the target.

Lanovran

Dang, that sucks! I've had a couple of close calls myself in and around the Clifton area. There are some awful, inattentive drivers in that part of the city. I sure hope that those who were hurt in the crashes enjoy a speedy recovery, and that the driver of the car learns a significant lesson from this.

B. Carfree

That's very similar to my back-up plan.

One thing I learned over years playing basketball: when an impact is inevitable, be airborne when it happens. The one time I was brake-checked (the attacker came in from another lane and slammed on his brakes), I left the bike at the rear bumper and went up and over. In spite of getting my right thigh slightly hung up on the right handlebar, I did manage to stick the landing after a full flip with a one and a half twist. (The twist was caused by the unplanned interaction with my handlebar). Considering I was in my fifties and wearing sandals, I was impressed with myself. Of course it would have been more impressive to see the attack coming, but no one's perfect.

blacksapphire08

Ouch, hope she makes a speedy recovery. I notice a lot of drivers in the Cincy area dont care about cyclists, I guess because it's a predominately car focused community. This is why im afraid to commute by bike to work. It would be nice if the community was more accepting of adding bike lanes.

huizar

Thanks for this! When I initially posted this I meant to add a bit at the end saying "How can a cyclist prepare or defend themselves against this?"

I agree with @B. Carfree as well, this was most likely due to an inattentive driver. When I read stories like this, I want to know more about the cyclist and their set up to see what they're doing to stay visible, and to know what -- if any -- tactics they employed that failed. Where was she riding? Did she have lights? Hi-vis clothing? I know most of this doesn't matter, because regardless of what she was wearing/using, the driver should have been paying more attention to the road. But I still wonder if the stuff I wear/use on the road is actually helping me stay visible in the eyes of these kinds of drivers.

JoeyBike

I use 500+ lumens of flashing white light up front by day. It works. They see me and freeze like the proverbial deer in headlights. Even looking into a rising or setting sun. Motorists see me and probably Astronauts on the ISS see me too. I took the plunge with daytime lighting when the iPhone became a popular driving tool/toy. Makes a huge difference.

Notso_fastLane

I'm thinking unless I'm really hauling ass, my recumbent would do a lot more damage to the car. The big chainring out there is like a sawblade, and I would have my legs braced for the impact if I couldn't avoid it.

spivonious

Ouch!

I bet the driver won't underestimate a bicycle's speed next time. Looks like a classic left cross.

As far as how a cyclist can prepare for this...make yourself look wider by swerving left and right a bit, and ALWAYS expect the other guy to be an idiot.

B. Carfree

Down at ten to fifteen miles per hour, you may be right. Above that, I don't know how you would fare considering the relative strength of your tubing and the passenger compartment of a car. I hope you never find out.

trailangel

Man, I don't know. High-side on purpose? What if you don't "time" it right... it will slam you even harder into the car or pavement, instead of over it. And in this case she was right at the passenger window, more difficult to go over the top.
I suggest a "High-Side" practice course. A stationary car, covered with mattresses to roll over.
Nominal registration fee, insurance and EMT standing by!

spare_wheel

I split the lane or move into the left lane. Lane splitting or taking the far left lane provides an advantage in these kind of situations:

1. You are in a weird place so motorists *notice* you.
2. Taking a left lane or lane splitting provides an optimal bail out for a left cross (and eliminates the right hook).

I also think it's a very good idea to wiggle a bit or wave an arm when approaching a potential intersection conflict. I also sometimes shout "heads up" loudly if the vehicle has an open window and the motorist is looking exceptionally dazed or yammering on a cell phone.