Advocacy & Safety - Bicyclist Killed After Being Struck By Semi In Southwest Tulsa

Tulsa's media and police are blaming the bicyclist for his death, but in reading the story, it sounds like the truck driver right-hooked him.

From the news release:

Police say both the bicyclist and the truck were eastbound on 23rd Street when the truck turned southbound onto Southwest Boulevard. Police say it appears the bicyclist was either grabbing onto the truck's trailer for a tow or reached up to fend it off and lost his balance, falling beneath the wheels of the truck.


http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0504/146267.html

It certainly sounds like a right-hook to me.


We had a tragedy last weekend in the San Diego County back country, when the driver of a pickup truck crossed the centerline of a narrow two-lane road to pass another vehicle and struck a cyclist head-on. The initial California Highway Patrol report made it sound as though it was an accident, and that the motorist "did nothing wrong." Yeah -- right! :<

From the San Diego Union-Tribune:
"Mr. Wichary, whose latest athletic passion was long-distance cycling, died in a biking accident Saturday while pedaling up state Route 78 in Santa Ysabel. He was 41.

Authorities said he lost control of the cycle and swerved in front of a pickup." [I have never seen an athletic, experienced club cyclist such as Hans simply "swerve" in front of a motor vehicle.]

The three other cyclists riding with Hans gave an entirely different account of the incident -- they braked and swerved to the right as they saw the oncoming pickup truck bearing down on them on THEIR side of the road. Prominent members of the San Diego cycling community (including some clown named John E., whoever he is) are demanding a full and equitable investigation of the incident; it's the least we can do for Hans's parents, wife, and two daughters, and for all road users.

Tulsa's media and police are blaming the bicyclist for his death, but in reading the story, it sounds like the truck driver right-hooked him.

Police say both the bicyclist and the truck were eastbound on 23rd Street when the truck turned southbound onto Southwest Boulevard. Police say it appears the bicyclist was either grabbing onto the truck's trailer for a tow or reached up to fend it off and lost his balance, falling beneath the wheels of the truck.

We cyclists all know we are faster on the turns that any vehicle, especially a truck. Why the hell would we do something so stupid as to grab onto a truck that's making a turn?

The detail of this story that made me re-think the police's position is that the truck turned south on Southwest Boulevard, which rarely has bicycle traffic. 23rd Street, the east/west street, is a popular route for Tulsa rides, as shown by this map: http://www.tulsabicycleclub.com/locindv.php?locgrp=R21 There's no way he was planning to "get a tow" from a truck that was going off route. I may be wrong, but I hate the way this event was presented on Tulsa TV and radio as a sort of "survival of the fittest" story.

I did not know Joseph Bartlett, but I think it dishonors him to publish such a weak explanation for his unnecessary death.

. Prominent members of the San Diego cycling community (including some clown named John E., whoever he is) are demanding a full and equitable investigation of the incident; it's the least we can do for Hans's parents, wife, and two daughters, and for all road users.

It seems, too often, tragic events are overshadowed by the most recent tragedy. And there seems to be a lot of tragedy to distract us lately. I wish you the best of luck in pursuing an investigation.

I'm not sure why anyone would grab hold of a truck in traffic, but then nor am I sure if what was reported was at all accurate.