Advocacy & Safety - Northern NY Cyclist Killed

A bicyclist was struck and killed early Sunday morning in St. Lawrence County, state police said.

William E. Wanzer, 69, of Norfolk was riding his bicycle on Mill Road in the Town of Norfolk.

Wanzer was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by Jennifer L. Thomas, 31, of Potsdam.

State police said Wanzer was wearing a helmet, safety clothing and had a light on his bike, but Thomas's vehicle crossed into the opposite lane as she was rounding a curve.

The accident happened at 6:18 am.

Thomas was identified in Monday morning's edition of the Watertown Times as one of the newspaper's delivery staff.

Thomas was ticketed for failure to keep right.

... Thomas was ticketed for failure to keep right.

How about a ticket for gross negligence and vehicular manslaughter?

That's it? She just gets a ticket?

That's it? She just gets a ticket?

http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=9264

Bicyclist killed on Norfolk roadway

Posted on: Tuesday, November 6, 2007

NORFOLK — A man was killed while riding his bicycle in Norfolk Sunday, and state police are investigating the accident to determine if charges will be brought against the driver of the car that struck him.

Police said William E. Wanzer, 69, was riding his bicycle north on the east shoulder of Mill Road around 6:18 a.m. when he was struck by a 2007 Nissan vehicle being driven by Jennifer L. Thomas, 31, of Potsdam.

Police said Thomas was traveling southbound and crossed into the northbound lane while negotiating a curve. Wanzer, who was wearing a bicycle helmet and reflective clothing and had auxiliary lights on his bicycle, according to police, sustained fatal injuries as a result of the accident.

Thomas was ticketed for failure to keep right, and the investigation is ongoing.

— Nathan Brown

This is my neck of the woods. Don't know the particular road but I would hazard to guess it's one of our many barely two lane backroads. These roads are not even marked with a centerline. And they have no shoulder, regardless of the article.

Googlemaps shows two tight curves which are probably the site of the accident http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=44.842238,-74.907575&spn=0.01841,0.030856&z=15&om=1&layer=c

These backroads are like racetracks with people traveling to and from work. Since there is never any law enforcement, people regularly travel well in excess of the speed limit. I'd bet this was a case of the driver cutting the corner.

I always thought that a bicyclists could avoid such a crash but I guess not.

I know a guy who killed a motorcyclists in the same manner. He was just driving along, fell asleep, and woke up at the impact.

I knew Bill. I posted about him (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=232887&p=5600874) in the Memorials thread of the General forum a few days ago. I grew up in Massena, next town over from Norfolk (which is really just a crossroads), and Bill was a biology teacher in the high school. I had his wife Abby for two years of French. Bill attended the same church in Massena as my mom, and in fact they were both scheduled to be ushers later that very morning. I didn't know him well, I don't think I even knew he was a cyclist, but I just respected him a lot as a person. It's very sad. I am just sending out a sympathy card to his wife, and a check to his memorial fund.

According to some articles I read, he was dressed brightly, had lights, and was wearing a helmet. He was riding on the right side of the road. I'm not familiar with that particular road. I'm not sure how dark or light it may have been at the time, but the bright clothing and lights should have made him okay. Some accounts said it may have been foggy. But in any case, the motorist did veer into his lane. She was delivering papers at the time, and was probably distracted getting the next one or looking at her list, and didn't notice she was veering into the other lane. Since it was on a curve, Bill probably had little time to react. Looks like it was just a mile or less away from his house.

Obituary (http://www.donaldsonfh.com/obituary.php?id=161). :(