General Cycling Discussion - Got hit today

I got hit by a car for the first time today. It wasn't a bad hit, the driver made a left turn across the bike lane and cut me off. I could see he was slowing down, but I thought it was because of the car in front of him, and he didn't have his blinker on. All that happen was me handlebars got twisted and my shifter turned sideways(I was on my road bike, so it was my STI shifters). It kinda ticked me that the driver didn't stop to make sure I was OK, but lifes a beach, so I hopped back on my bike and continued on my way to school.

Good to hear you're ok. :D Bummer about the driver! :mad:

Wait a minute -- the driver hit you with his vehicle but didn't stop? Even if it was a minor thing, the law still requires that a driver stop and render aid if needed. Got any witnesses or a plate number? If it was the fault of the driver (which it sounds like it might have been) then you probably can file a claim against his insurance for damage to your bike, provided you have some way of tracking him down. If it's worth pursuing, I suppose you could stake out the place at the same time during the next few days and see if he shows up again and get a plate number.

Glad to hear you're OK. I hope you can get the bike back to A1 condition soon.

That's a lot like what happened to me a few months ago, same damage to the bike- also need new wheels. Driver didn't stop, etc. And I was injured as well. Glad to hear you're okay at least and none of the repairs sounds terribly expensive. It seems that if you aren't dead, most drivers will just take off rather than deal with the hassle. Mind you, even if you are dead, some of them still take off!

Geez! I'd file a police report. If he hit you bad enough to twist your bars.shifters, then there is evidence on his body, as well. Even if all you get out of it is a new package of bar tape, I'd still nail the b@st@rd!

Originally posted by D*Alex
Geez! I'd file a police report. If he hit you bad enough to twist your bars.shifters, then there is evidence on his body, as well. Even if all you get out of it is a new package of bar tape, I'd still nail the b@st@rd!

I agree, if you got his plate, get him busted for making an illegal turn (no blinker) and failure to yeild, and anything else you can think of.

good thing you are ok though.... you commute to college?

Glad to hear you're ok.

glad you are ok!
wish you had gotten his plate number the money could have helped with your school fund. hit and run is a no no in this country

Good to hear that there was no lasting damage done. It is never good to join the HBAAD club. however in most every state in this country the incident is now a felony.

Glad you'r not hurt!

I had an ole gal to pull almost the same stunt on me this evening. Turned left in front of me then slamed on the breaks so as not to scuff the front bumper on the low street transistion. I almost took the rear quarter panell before I could slow down enough to make a swerve to the left my self.

Just remember, we are invisible!

Glad you're okay. And I hope you find the guy. Sounds like he or she owes you the cost of repairs.

The same thing generally happened to my brother while on his way to school( he was at university at the time) A lady cut the bike lane off without even looking. She drove right over his bike bending the frame and breaking his hand. Worst thing was she continued on her way. He went around later that day after getting medical attention and eventually found her car on campus. Well her mistake was she left. It cost her one year tution cause my brother couldn't do any of his lab work. And she got to buy him a new bicycle. Hit and runs are unexcusable even if the cyclist isn't hurt.


It pisses me off when people think that the cycling lane is an extention of there lane. somewhere they can drift in and out of. To coin seinfeld " they are not leisure lanes"

Glad you're OK, fubar. I'm going to add my voice to those who say that you perhaps should have called the cops. Although I don't really blame you for not doing so. It's easy to forget about things like that in such a situation.

Originally posted by fubar5
I got hit by a car for the first time today. It wasn't a bad hit, the driver made a left turn across the bike lane and cut me off. I could see he was slowing down, but I thought it was because of the car in front of him, and he didn't have his blinker on. All that happen was me handlebars got twisted and my shifter turned sideways(I was on my road bike, so it was my STI shifters). It kinda ticked me that the driver didn't stop to make sure I was OK, but lifes a beach, so I hopped back on my bike and continued on my way to school.
Firstly, Matt, let me say I am so relieved you are not injured.

Secondly, I want to point out that here in Georgia, leaving the scene of an accident is illegal. Here is what a quick Yahoo search uncovered about New Jersey laws about it (which are probably similar to Georgia's and yours: )

(b) The driver of any vehicle knowingly involved in an accident resulting only in damage to a vehicle, including his own vehicle, or other property which is attended by any person shall immediately stop his vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible, but shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of such accident until he has fulfilled the requirements of subsection (c) of this section. Every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary. Any person who shall violate this subsection shall be fined not less than $200 nor more than $400, or be imprisoned for a period of not more than 30 days, or both, for the first offense, and for a subsequent offense, shall be fined not less than $400 nor more than $600, or be imprisoned for a period of not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days or both.

In addition, a person who violates this subsection shall, for a first offense, forfeit the right to operate a motor vehicle in this State for a period of six months from the date of conviction, and for a period of one year from the date of conviction for any subsequent offense.

Get the tag number and witnesses next time, if you can, my friend.

Wow,
Must be the moon or something.
I almost got nailed the same way tonight too.
Sad part was I WAS going 22 mph at the time. The dirtbag wouldn't have had to wait too long for me to be out of the way, but noooooo, BAM... Right Hook. Just dodged him tho. The car behind him was honking like crazy when the van started his turn.

Oh, well... glad to hear we both made it out ok.

I almost get it every sat and sun by the paper delivers on the wrong side of the street driving and cutting every which way,they are a hazzard.

Last July a driver making an illegal turn took me down.. Slightly twisted my handlebars.. Took off after a very quick stop..
I do not think we should idly take this crap.. I think it might be a good strategy to carry at all times a disposable camera to get these ******** since they are almost always hit and runs.. And almost never do we get a license plate..

In Ohio if you are in a hit and run and you have a witness you can collect on your uninsured motorist coverage on your car insurance if you have it. You might want to check with you insurance agent if you have one.

Well, once I realised what was happening, I grabbed my brakes and tried to prevent the crash. After that I on the ground with my bike. When I got up to check out my bike he was gone, but remember it was a green might max long bed pick-up. I might be able to spot him some other time.

Vegas, my college is only 12 miles from my house, so I've been commuting by bike since it is so close. Next year when I go to a bigger college my commute probably won't be so long if I can get on campus.

Glad you're ok.

Fubar,

Glad to hear you're ok.
I believe (but I'm not a lawyer so it don't count) that
Hit and Run is a felony if it includes injury (at least
that was the law in Virginia).
I concur with all of the above posts that suggest you
contact the police. Even if nothing comes of it
you still have it on record.

Again, glad you're in one piece.

Marty

Good to hear you are ok Matt.

Go to the police and report the incident right away. You could save a bikers life down the road a bit.

Be responsible.

Hit and Run with a side of Assault if you were injured.

Glad you're ok Matt.
Any bruises or cuts from going down with the bike?


There shouldn't be very many green Mighty Max trucks around there. I haven't seen one around here in a while.


I hope you find the S.O.B. so you can prosecute or at least give him hell for what he did to you and your bike.

Glad youre ok. Its gotta be the moon. Yesterday on my way home from my commute I was riding in the bike lane. This guy in a small pick up pulled in the oncoming center "turn" lane and just waited for me. I started slowing down and for some stupid reason I thought he was going to let me go by, but as soon as I got close to the intersection he gunned it and almost hit me. I hit the brakes hard and spun the bike sideways as to be sure I wouldnt hit him. He had this cruddy little smirk on his face as he was going by. I so badly wanted him to stop.

glad you are okay... must be the weather.. seems the drivers are all hitting ppl these days..
my incident on monday shook me up so much.. i can't talk about it.. weird.. makes me go all flustery.. oh well.. i can still type
hope you get that person.

Originally posted by fubar5
I got hit by a car for the first time today. It wasn't a bad hit, the driver made a left turn across the bike lane and cut me off. I could see he was slowing down, but I thought it was because of the car in front of him, and he didn't have his blinker on. All that happen was me handlebars got twisted and my shifter turned sideways(I was on my road bike, so it was my STI shifters). It kinda ticked me that the driver didn't stop to make sure I was OK, but lifes a beach, so I hopped back on my bike and continued on my way to school.

Sorry :( you had a bad experience...and even more sorry that your mishap was compounded by some degenerate that possessed no concern. He clearly broke the law. If you have a way of identifying that bozo, I'd phone the police immediately and tell them what happened. That driver should be brought into the police dept and made to feel like a major low life, he is... :mad:

Fubar,
Of all people you will be the last person who will get hit by a motor vehicle, hope your fine and also the bike, were you able to get his plate number, and sue the bas@3$5...D

Originally posted by fubar5
Vegas, my college is only 12 miles from my house, so I've been commuting by bike since it is so close. Next year when I go to a bigger college my commute probably won't be so long if I can get on campus.

just wondering, since I also ride to college, (6 miles each way nothing special), but there have been times in that rush hour morning traffic, where I was glad to still be upright on my bike...

good to hear you'r okay, foob. that really sucks, though.

Hi Fubar, just caught up with the thread. Glad you're OK!

The only time I got hit by a car was almost the same thing, but by the time I got up and dusted myself off he was long gone. Tough to get a plate number in those circumstances.

The worst part was that afterward I realized that I wasn't sure if he had made a left turn in front of me, or just went through the stop sign at the cross street. Didn't make a lot of difference, but would have been a little hard to explain to the police if I had filed a report.

Call the cops and file a report even if you don't know the license plate #. If they just know the make, model, and color of the vehicle, they'll watch for it in the neighborhood of where you got hit. Most police departments take hit and runs like these seriously. Glad you're OK.

hey, if it was me in your place, the hell with the school! I would follow the sucker and kick his ass and then ask for some money.:mad:

Well I am in the same club as you now Fubar. Last night on my commute home this lady in a suburban whizzes past me pulls into my lane and stops hard so she can turn into the bank. Well I tried my hardest to stop but since it just finished down pouring I slammed right into her back end. I got up and rode slowly around her and she had this ghastly look on her face. She didn’t get out she just kept looking at me like I was an alien or something. I was so pissed off that its probably better she stayed in the car otherwise I would have used to harsh language and with her kids present that wouldn’t have been a good thing.
At least she received a nice new shiny scratch for her troubles…and Im glad that since it happened it happened on my cyclocross and not my road bike.

The thing that really stinks is the fact that this guy could have been really badly hurt yet this driver just p*ssed off!!!! I've had that done to me before but on horseback I told the guy to slow down no way my horse and his Mercedes was gonna fit thru such a small gap!!! but he didn't so my horse got scared and her tail got wrapped round the wing mirror he ripped half her tail out then buggered off!!! after calming down I rang the cops and because I got his plate he got caught!!! then he tried to sue me joke isn't it well his claim fell flat in his face the minute he handed it in!!! I do get worried while cycling thou I know that one day I might get hit and they won't stop!!! It's so annoying having to watch out for other people making mistakes all the time and anticipating what they are going to do next!!!! the worst has to be car doors!!!! argggggggg!!!!!!! and being cut up!!!

The sad thing is you are five times more likely to be hit on the roads riding a bike than you are driving a car!! :(

Fubar, you are bringing out my "Mom impulses". Glad you are live and well, sorry about your bike, but that can be fixed faster than you can be. File a report, fix your bike, and be safe out there. Oh, and tell your mother you are fine, and that you are sorry you scared her.

Thanks for all the concern guys. I didn't file a police report, because I didn't really think of the accident as a big deal. But just a few days later a pedestrian got hit. So I've decided to be a more proactive member in my city. If people really are in control of the government, then I should be able to make a difference. I'm going to try and get all the cyclists in the city to write to whoever we need to to get better walking/cycling conditions.

Yes, better conditions is all very well, but there will always be a few rogues who will make whatever conditions prevail considerably worse for everyone else.