Advocacy & Safety - What's a street sweeper doing on a rural road?

Anyone know Michael James McLeod from Imperial Beach, CA? He's in critical condition after slamming into a slow-moving street sweeper on a road popular with touring cyclists. (http://www.ktvl.com/news/road_1187598___article.html/downhill_crashed.html) Curvy, relatively steep grades. Ironically the sweeper apparently was removing hazards to cyclists. Seems this accident didn't have to happen.

http://www.ktvl.com/news/road_1187598___article.html/downhill_crashed.html

I am always extra careful on blind curves, especially windy mountain roads. In addition to slow or stalled cars in your lane, there are also cars going the opposite direction that frequently cross the center line. I hope he recovers.

Street sweepers kick up lots of dust, so I'm thinking maybe Mr. Mcleod got dust in his eyes, and couldn't see where he was going?

I don't know what else could explain this accident.

It's sad, and I don't want to blame the poor guy, but what would we say about a driver who rear ended a street sweeper? It sounds like he was going too fast. We've all done it before, this guy just made a mistake. I hope he recovers.

Seems this accident didn't have to happen.Of course, if it did have to happen, it wasn't an accident.

Of course, if it did have to happen, it wasn't an accident.

I agree. I have no basis for who's at fault and could have prevented it, but.... It's hard for me to blame the street sweeper if a cyclist ran into it.

I agree. I have no basis for who's at fault and could have prevented it, but.... It's hard for me to blame the street sweeper if a cyclist ran into it.

It could have just as easily been a car stopped in the road.

These sorts of things are "crashes" or "collisions"... not accidents.

If you rear-end a large, slow moving vehicle, it's your fault -- for riding too fast for conditions, failure to keep alert for what may be up the road ahead of you, and poor lane or roadway positioning in not leaving yourself an "out" if something unexpected does happen.


Think if the tables were reversed, and a truck coming around the corner rear-ended the cyclist... would the cyclist be at fault for being on the roadway?

One should never ride (or descend) faster than his or her guardian angel can fly. This guy outran his, as well as his common sense.

These sorts of things are "crashes" or "collisions"... not accidents.

:lol:

As if we haven't flogged THAT to death...

-Kurt

Street sweepers kick up lots of dust, so I'm thinking maybe Mr. Mcleod got dust in his eyes, and couldn't see where he was going?

I don't know what else could explain this accident.

Maybe excessive speed?

Street sweepers kick up lots of dust, so I'm thinking maybe Mr. Mcleod got dust in his eyes, and couldn't see where he was going?

I don't know what else could explain this accident.
"Can't see, must continue on path at same/faster speed!"

Anyway, it's an accident, not exactly going to try to explain it for no real good reason. However part of me is like "... A street sweeper? Come on..." Just finding it silly that a cyclist hits a vehicle because the vehicle was going too slow ;) (or the bike too fast, either way is rather ironic)


Anyway hope he gets better.

lol someone was riding a little too fast