Advocacy & Safety - SUV Hits Cyclist-Caught on Video

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11010104

Click on the "raw footage" link:

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11010104

The act was caught by a video camera on an off-duty bus.

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6. Stop, look, and listen, when coming to an intersection. LOOk both ways before crossing the street..

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11010104

Click on the "raw footage" link:

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11010104

The act was caught by a video camera on an off-duty bus.

and the first comment starts with "unfortunate accident... "

That was no accident... that was a driver not paying attention! :mad:

The bus was driving defensively.

and the first comment starts with "unfortunate accident... "

That was no accident... that was a driver not paying attention! :mad:

Pretty clear thanks to the video.

and the first comment starts with "unfortunate accident... "

That was no accident... that was a driver not paying attention! :mad:My thoughts exactly when I read that comment.

--J

The driver was a state legislator (!).

Anyone know how the bike rider is ?

Looks exactly like the kind of wreck I had with a speeding car, even hit the same spot. Progressive Insurance denied the claim, even though the driver ran a stop sign at 20 mph. They claimed I should have known their policyholder was going to run the stop sign. Whatever. They eventually settled after I hired a lawyer and ran a huge obstacle course of the judicial system.

Hope the cyclist heals up!

Makes one wonder how this would have turned out if there was no video footage. My guess is the driver would have claimed the cyclist ran a red, and no one would ever know the truth.

Wow. That's horrible.

I hope the legislator gets some serious heat, fines, and any other appropriate punishment for running that red.

Even more than that, I hope the cyclist ends up physically good and financially better for that.

Finally, I'm amused that there was an ad for an SUV before the footage showed.

Makes one wonder how this would have turned out if there was no video footage. My guess is the driver would have claimed the cyclist ran a red, and no one would ever know the truth.

My thoughts exactly. Without that video the driver would absolutely have claimed he went through on the yellow and the cyclist ran the red.

and the first comment starts with "unfortunate accident... "

That was no accident... that was a driver not paying attention! :mad:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/accident

...Just sayin.

"hit with a car" should be used as a term instead of "accident"

My thoughts exactly. Without that video the driver would absolutely have claimed he went through on the yellow and the cyclist ran the red.

Of course in this case a witness (the bus driver) was present.

Wow, just think...this cyclist could easily own his own legislator!

Of course in this case a witness (the bus driver) was present.


Makes one wonder how this would have turned out if there was no video footage. My guess is the driver would have claimed the cyclist ran a red, and no one would ever know the truth.The end of the news cast was cut off, but just before the cut they were saying "one witness tells police, the witness to the accident, that the collision appears to be the bicyclist fault".:notamused:

This cyclist is extremely lucky a video got recorded and turned in.

My thoughts exactly. Without that video the driver would absolutely have claimed he went through on the yellow and the cyclist ran the red.


This is so true. Drivers will lie if they are at fault. This is so sad about society. People don't have the integrity to admit to the truth because it may inconvenience them, or raise their insurance, or have legal implications. It is sad, but we must prepare for this. (And not just for cyclists, even as a car driver)

That is why I am looking at purchasing this:

http://images1.opticsplanet.com/640-640/opplanet-vholdr-contour-hd-camcorder-on-helmet.jpg
http://images1.opticsplanet.com/640-640/opplanet-vholdr-contour-hd-camcorder.jpg

"hit with a car" should be used as a term instead of "accident"

Or "collision."

"Accident" implies that something occurred unintentionally. Now obviously the driver did not intend to hit someone... but was the driver actually paying attention, or had they directed their attention to some task other than driving... If so, then they intentionally chose to no longer pay attention to driving, and the result was a collision, not an accident.

The fact is that laws and signals pretty much cover all traffic situations, and if drivers actually paid attention to what they were doing behind the wheel, there would be few, if any "accidents."

Of course the evidence shows otherwise, and 40,000 people die each year due to preventable collisions, that are often mistakenly called "accidents." 1/3 of these collisions are due to inattention, 1/3 are due to excessive speed, and 1/3 are alcohol related in some fashion. The most common type of collision is rear ending someone... (these rough numbers were taken from NHTSA and FARS data)

Slow down and don't drink and drive and you have already prevented 2/3s of all possible collisions.

While clearly the 'driver' is racing the yellow light, the 'rider' should've never entered the intersection at his cruising speed. I suspect the bus was blocking his view of the suv running the light.

Green light or not, I'm not gonna blow into an intersection when the light just turned green. I'm slowing down and looking both ways for NASCAR wanna-beez.

Not saying the 'rider' is at fault in anyway. Just saying you gotta watch out for 4 wheel incompetence.

While clearly the 'driver' is racing the yellow light, the 'rider' should've never entered the intersection at his cruising speed. I suspect the bus was blocking his view of the suv running the light.

Green light or not, I'm not gonna blow into an intersection when the light just turned green. I'm slowing down and looking both ways for NASCAR wanna-beez.

Not saying the 'rider' is at fault in anyway. Just saying you gotta watch out for 4 wheel incompetence.

Gotta agree with you. Have had a couple of recent close calls as a cyclist with red light running motorists and it was scary. Have also recently noticed more random red light running autos... 2 in the last 2 days. One was close to hitting my wife as we started across the street together.

I don't have a solution. The only thing I can recommend is "you gotta watch out for 4 wheel incompetence."

The collision was 2 sec after the light changed. At 30 mph that is nearly 90 ft travelled, so I am sure the car crossed on the red. When entering an intersection at the beginning of the green you dont pass traffic stopped on your left. You need to be able to watch for light racers on the cross street and left turners making a quick turn before traffic in your lane starts. Also traffic in your lane might make a sudden right turn.

Actually the collision occurred at 2.8 seconds after the cyclist light turned green. Add another 1 second for an ALL RED light and you have the SUV driver hitting the cyclist 3.8 seconds after he had a RED light.

Plus you guys are starting to sound like the "one witness" who told police that it was the cyclist fault. With the bus already pulling into the intersection, you guys think the cyclist should have stopped at the green light, let the bus clear, look both ways (assuming other traffic in adjacent lanes are not now blocking his view) and then start from a dead stop to cross the intersection? Sounds very confusing to motorist as to the cyclist intentions and like an even better way to get right hooked or rear ended.

Sadly, even taking the lane would not have prevented a 2.8 second red light runner from hitting most cyclist.

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11010104

Click on the "raw footage" link:

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11010104

The act was caught by a video camera on an off-duty bus.

Any more information on this? How is the cyclist doing, any charges filed?

Looks exactly like the kind of wreck I had with a speeding car, even hit the same spot. Progressive Insurance denied the claim, even though the driver ran a stop sign at 20 mph. They claimed I should have known their policyholder was going to run the stop sign. Whatever. They eventually settled after I hired a lawyer and ran a huge obstacle course of the judicial system.

Hope the cyclist heals up!

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??? So we're suppose to be mind readers now and "know" what the moron driving the cage is thinking and is getting ready to do???

I'm glad to hear that you did pursue the case and won a settlement.

and the first comment starts with "unfortunate accident... "

That was no accident... that was a driver not paying attention! :mad:

Actually it starts with "terrible, unfortunate accident. . ." It was a totally avoidable accident, had mister legislature been paying attention to the road he wouldn't have hit the cyclist. He should lose his seat and have to do more then just community service, he should have to do some real time.

Makes one wonder how this would have turned out if there was no video footage. My guess is the driver would have claimed the cyclist ran a red, and no one would ever know the truth.

I'd like to know what had happened just off screen. Any security camera's in the area pick up what the bus camera missed?

The end of the news cast was cut off, but just before the cut they were saying "one witness tells police, the witness to the accident, that the collision appears to be the bicyclist fault".:notamused:

This cyclist is extremely lucky a video got recorded and turned in.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??? How the bloody hell is that "accident" the cyclists fault? Let me guess the "witness" thinks like the insurance company in an earlier post that the cyclist should have been able to "read" the mind of the legislator in the SUV and "known" that he wasn't paying attention and was going to run the light.

The news video said the cyclist spent a week in the hospital and is now out, didn't hear anything on charges but if he were to go to jail, it wold be a comfy, minimum security resort.

The news video said the cyclist spent a week in the hospital and is now out, didn't hear anything on charges but if he were to go to jail, it wold be a comfy, minimum security resort.

That's good to hear, about the cyclist. Sadly about the driver you're probably right.

Plus you guys are starting to sound like the "one witness" who told police that it was the cyclist fault. With the bus already pulling into the intersection, you guys think the cyclist should have stopped at the green light, let the bus clear, look both ways (assuming other traffic in adjacent lanes are not now blocking his view) and then start from a dead stop to cross the intersection? Sounds very confusing to motorist as to the cyclist intentions and like an even better way to get right hooked or rear ended.
If the light turned green before I started passing the bus I would have waited between the bus and the next car. If the light went green while I was passing the bus I would have gone through slow enough to stop if I saw crossing traffic, gone next to the bus so its mass would shield me from crossing traffic.
It looks like some of the stimulus money should be spent on repaving those streets

If the light turned green before I started passing the bus I would have waited between the bus and the next car. If the light went green while I was passing the bus I would have gone through slow enough to stop if I saw crossing traffic, gone next to the bus so its mass would shield me from crossing traffic.
It looks like some of the stimulus money should be spent on repaving those streets

They just repaved the street in front of my apartment, it's so nice to have a smooth road to ride on.

The video made me flinch, how fast was that moron cager going, for crissake?

The video made me flinch, how fast was that moron cager going, for crissake?

Well, he probably accelerated for the yellow, that's what yellow means, doncha know?

In reality, the law (at least in Michigan) states that yellow means "stop if reasonably possible." IOW, when it turns yellow, if you can slow to a stop without having to brake too hard, you should. I generally don't run through the end of the yellow, and in most areas I drive in around here, people are pretty conservative about it; by the time the light turns red traffic has stopped. I don't see people run reds very often.

Did the intersection have any overhead lights? In my travels to Wisconsin, I've noticed that the state often configures intersections such that the lights are not in direct line-of-site for the driver. Whereas the typical configuration in Michigan is to have lights hanging directly over each of the traffic lanes.

I'm not excusing the driver, but I do wonder here whether the intersection configuration is a contributing factor here.

Did the intersection have any overhead lights? In my travels to Wisconsin, I've noticed that the state often configures intersections such that the lights are not in direct line-of-site for the driver. Whereas the typical configuration in Michigan is to have lights hanging directly over each of the traffic lanes.

I'm not excusing the driver, but I do wonder here whether the intersection configuration is a contributing factor here.

Then perhaps the driver needs to slow down to gauge traffic and check the signals... too damn many motorists just fly along as if they think their car is on rails... :mad:

Then perhaps the driver needs to slow down to gauge traffic and check the signals... too damn many motorists just fly along as if they think their car is on rails... :mad:

Agree. And it's very unlikely that the driver had never seen that intersection before. If they have been through the intersection a few times, any argument about light placement goes away; they know what to expect by then.

This pretty much has to be a case of either distraction (phone/texting/screwing with radio/etc) or plain old red light running.

This pretty much has to be a case of either distraction (phone/texting/screwing with radio/etc) or plain old red light running.

This and a cyclist entering an intersection wfo just after a light change and his view blocked by the bus.

This and a cyclist entering an intersection wfo just after a light change and his view blocked by the bus.

The cyclist could have been more careful, certainly, but that doesn't mean that the driver isn't totally responsible for this incident. The legal "everyone has a responsibility to try to avoid accidents" doesn't extend to having to ride so defensively that they might as well stay locked in their house.

The driver had many seconds (don't know how long the yellow was) to notice the light was changing and to stop. And it's just as true that the bus blocked the DRIVER'S view - when I'm in the situation where a large vehicle blocks my view, I'm extra careful approaching an intersection and will stop on the yellow if there's any question of whether there's someone there or not.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??? How the bloody hell is that "accident" the cyclists fault? Let me guess the "witness" thinks like the insurance company in an earlier post that the cyclist should have been able to "read" the mind of the legislator in the SUV and "known" that he wasn't paying attention and was going to run the light.Perhaps the witness didn't see the light, or was wrong about the condition of the light. And it's unlikely the witness knew about the video at that time. Perhaps the witness just didn't like bicycles? There's lots of possiblities.

The cyclist is indeed lucky it was on video -- if not, that witness's statement, combined with the driver's almost certain `I had a green light!' might have gotten him the ticket rather than the motorist. Of course, the bus driver should have also given a statement -- he certainly saw the accident (you can hear him exclaim) and he knew the light was green, because he was going.

Well, he probably accelerated for the yellow, that's what yellow means, doncha know?

In reality, the law (at least in Michigan) states that yellow means "stop if reasonably possible." IOW, when it turns yellow, if you can slow to a stop without having to brake too hard, you should. I generally don't run through the end of the yellow, and in most areas I drive in around here, people are pretty conservative about it; by the time the light turns red traffic has stopped. I don't see people run reds very often.

I was taught WAY back in driver's ed in high school, that a yellow light meant "proceed with caution red light coming up." Granted as we all know from experience it mean's just the opposite and that it means "drive like hell red light coming up."

And I am sure that it is safe to say that more then a few of us also do so when we see a green light change to yellow.

The cyclist could have been more careful, certainly, but that doesn't mean that the driver isn't totally responsible for this incident. The legal "everyone has a responsibility to try to avoid accidents" doesn't extend to having to ride so defensively that they might as well stay locked in their house.

The driver had many seconds (don't know how long the yellow was) to notice the light was changing and to stop. And it's just as true that the bus blocked the DRIVER'S view - when I'm in the situation where a large vehicle blocks my view, I'm extra careful approaching an intersection and will stop on the yellow if there's any question of whether there's someone there or not.

Not too long ago on my ride to the library I was passing a bus that had pulled over into a right hand turn lane because that's where the bus stop was. A car coming out of the parking lot where the bus stop and turning lane were located didn't really slow down or stop to see if the bus was blocking any traffic he just came right out.

Of course the bus was blocking sight of me from vehicles coming out of said parking lot, but fortunately I was able to see the driver and check my speed so that we didn't collide. Sadly, the driver also looked like one of those "little old people" who could barely see through let alone OVER the steering wheel, and might possibly really be too old and unsafe anymore to be allowed to continue driving.

Perhaps the witness didn't see the light, or was wrong about the condition of the light. And it's unlikely the witness knew about the video at that time. Perhaps the witness just didn't like bicycles? There's lots of possibilities.

The cyclist is indeed lucky it was on video -- if not, that witness's statement, combined with the driver's almost certain `I had a green light!' might have gotten him the ticket rather than the motorist. Of course, the bus driver should have also given a statement -- he certainly saw the accident (you can hear him exclaim) and he knew the light was green, because he was going.

Yep, there are a lot possibilities to explain explain the "witness'" statements.

Yes, he is, if/when it goes to court it'll be very hard for the motorist's lawyer to argue the validity of the video. Yep, I heard the bus driver's voice on the video. It looked like the bus was only a second or two behind the cyclist. Too bad they hadn't proceeded trough the intersection at the same time, as the bus would have been a good shield for the bike. Not saying that the cyclist might not still have been struck by the bus, but he might have had more time to react.

I was taught WAY back in driver's ed in high school, that a yellow light meant "proceed with caution red light coming up." ....Are you sure? I was taught and the law read that a flashing yellow light means "yeild and proceed with caution". A solid yellow does mean "stop if reasonably possible".

I was taught and the law read that a flashing yellow light means "yeild and proceed with caution".

Don't yield at flashing yellows.

Are you sure? I was taught and the law read that a flashing yellow light means "yeild and proceed with caution". A solid yellow does mean "stop if reasonably possible".

Don't yield at flashing yellows.

*Flashing yellow light means slow down and watch for cross traffic trying to enter the intersection. But NO yield because you have the right of way.

*Steady on yellow means slow down and 'try' to stop because light is changing to red.

*Flashing yellow left turn arrow means yield to opposing traffic before turning left.

That is why I stick to the Bike trails.

I was taught WAY back in driver's ed in high school, that a yellow light meant "proceed with caution red light coming up." Granted as we all know from experience it mean's just the opposite and that it means "drive like hell red light coming up."

And I am sure that it is safe to say that more then a few of us also do so when we see a green light change to yellow.

I've heard a lot of people being taught things in driver's ed that are just plain wrong. It also may depend on the state, and it may have changed over the years.

CURRENTLY the law in Michigan is that drivers should stop on the yellow if they don't have to brake hard to do so. I don't see a whole lot of red light running around here, most of the time, someone WILL stop towards the end of the yellow, so that by the time the light goes red, traffic has stopped.

I've been in other states where even red means "as long as there's a solid train of cars still going around this corner, the suckers in the other lanes can't stop us!!! HAHAHA!"

I've heard a lot of people being taught things in driver's ed that are just plain wrong.

True. I was specifically taught in driver's ed that you can go about 7 mph over the speed limit without getting caught. While this is true, it doesn't make it right, and it certainly isn't something I'd go encouraging a bunch of 15-year-old kids to do.

For those who are more interested in the actual story over arguing about a bunch of nonsense you should know that the Assemblyman Mr. Clark only received a citation for running the red light. The cyclist would be able to pursue a civil suit but the two men involved in the accident are actually long time friends.
Accidents rarely result in anything other than fines and for those ******** among you who actually fault the rider for this you should think really think hard about how you actually ride. No one here has ever approached a traffic signal when it turned green and since you were already pedaling let your momentum continue on because the light was green? Also there was a bus next to him, who would assume that someone would run a red light when you see a giant bus next to you that is proceeding through the green?
And of course this news footage comes out the day after our very successful Ride the Drive Ciclovia. That morning there were also the headlines of a pedestrian getting killed in the early morning by a drunk driver and a little girl on a bike was hit by a car in front of her house. Jeez.