Texas - Another cyclist killed by a car!

Here we go again folks. Another careless driver has hit and killed a cyclist in Austin. To be honest I have lost count of how many of our "family" members have been killed on Austin streets this year. This happened less than a mile from my house on my daily training route. Please say a prayer for his family.

http://keyetv.com/topstories/local_story_192130408.html

This is really getting old around here. Seems like once a month someone gets hit and killed. They should outlaw cell phones. Of course, outlawing bad drivers would be even better.
Prayers and sympathy to his family.

Update- "The Department of Public Saftey said that the cyclist was obeying all traffic laws. A helmet was located on the scene, but they don't know if he was wearing it."

I find it kind of odd that they mention the helmet. It doesn't make a damn bit of difference when you get hit by an urban assault vehicle.

Bicyclist Vilhelm Hesness was killed July 11 when he was struck from behind by a sport utility vehicle, which later flipped over, near the corner of Manchaca and FM 1626. Now, more than eight weeks later, the Texas Department of Public Safety has given virtually no indication as to how it will handle the case. The accident report, the only data released thus far, noted that "failure to control speed," on the part of the SUV driver, 43-year-old Richard Alan Lee of Austin, was a contributing factor. DPS spokeswoman Lisa Block said the investigation won't proceed until Lee's blood toxicology test, taken on the day of the incident, is completed by the DPS crime lab. Bicycling advocates and those close to Hesness are frustrated with the delay and say the case reinforces the perception that local authorities fail to deliver justice to drivers who injure or kill law-abiding cyclists. "We're very concerned about the delay of this investigation. It should be treated as expeditiously as any other crime," said Robin Stallings, executive director of the Texas Bicycle Coalition, adding that the tragedy is further evidence that Texas needs a bicycle safe-passing law. "It seems like if you're not driving drunk and you don't flee the scene, you get a free pass to run over cyclists." Block said the typical DPS lab backlog is about six weeks, and further delays depend on workload and the priority of the case. Results are expected this week, she said.

because of course, we carry helmets but don't wear them.....

LOL. I have to admit I have not clue why this helmet issue keeps coming up in every news story. Yes, he had his helmet on, yes he was following the rules and laws of the road. However the driver of the car was not wearing a helmet and not following the laws or rules.

That is a good way of putting it. Why don't they say something like, "well, he wasn't wearing full impact body armour." At least that would be relevant to the injuries involved. Or better yet, why didn't he have a bicycle ejection seat? I have been meaning to get one of those ;-)