Advocacy & Safety - WSP looking for motorist that hit cyclist near Ames Lake

http://sammamish.komonews.com/content/wsp-looking-witnesses-highway-202-collision-near-ames-lake

The Washington State Patrol is looking for witnesses who may have seen a minivan strike a bicyclist on Highway 202 (Redmond-Fall City Road) near Ames Lake Road, just east of Sammamish, on Saturday morning.

Troopers say that the bicyclist was in a group of 10 riders training with the Starbucks Racing Team, traveling westbound on the highway around 11:45 a.m., when the red minivan, possibly a Honda Odyssey, approached. Witnesses at the scene say the minivan was traveling at high speed and was being driven erratically on the eastbound side.

Suddenly, the minivan crossed the center line and started going faster as it passed some vehicles. It went almost all the way across the road and forced the rider, a 49-year-old man from Seattle, to crash his bike into a ditch to avoid being struck by the minivan.

The man suffered serious injuries in the incident and was taken to Overlake Hospital in Bellevue for treatment. None of the other cyclists were hurt.

WSP is asking anyone who may have seen the minivan or any part of the incident to contact Detective Stacy Moate at 425-401-7746.

http://sammamish.komonews.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/resize_story_image/100102_redmond_bike.jpg

http://sammamish.komonews.com/content/wsp-looking-witnesses-highway-202-collision-near-ames-lake

The Washington State Patrol is looking for witnesses who may have seen a minivan strike a bicyclist on Highway 202 (Redmond-Fall City Road) near Ames Lake Road, just east of Sammamish, on Saturday morning.

Troopers say that the bicyclist was in a group of 10 riders training with the Starbucks Racing Team, traveling westbound on the highway around 11:45 a.m., when the red minivan, possibly a Honda Odyssey, approached. Witnesses at the scene say the minivan was traveling at high speed and was being driven erratically on the eastbound side.

Suddenly, the minivan crossed the center line and started going faster as it passed some vehicles. It went almost all the way across the road and forced the rider, a 49-year-old man from Seattle, to crash his bike into a ditch to avoid being struck by the minivan.

The man suffered serious injuries in the incident and was taken to Overlake Hospital in Bellevue for treatment. None of the other cyclists were hurt.

WSP is asking anyone who may have seen the minivan or any part of the incident to contact Detective Stacy Moate at 425-401-7746.

http://sammamish.komonews.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/resize_story_image/100102_redmond_bike.jpg

Sounds like the driver was either intoxicated or on drugs. Either way, the person should not be allowed to keep his or her driver's license.

Pockets full of ball bearings.

Sounds like the driver was either intoxicated or on drugs. Either way, the person should not be allowed to keep his or her driver's license.

Since they passed a bunch of cars before running the riders off the lane, I was thinking it was someone trying to pass with disregard for oncoming traffic. (Possibly in conjunction with being drunk or drugged up.)
Scary, since this is on one of my usual routes.

Honestly, I've seen people acting/driving like that that were just impatient as hell; bobbing out into the oncoming lane every few seconds while tailgating, waiting for an opening.

Honestly, I've seen people acting/driving like that that were just impatient as hell; bobbing out into the oncoming lane every few seconds while tailgating, waiting for an opening.+1

I have had plenty of drivers pass me and force oncoming cars onto the shoulder to avoid a head on collision. Some how they figure they have a right to turn a two lane road into a three lane sorta road.

+1

I have had plenty of drivers pass me and force oncoming cars onto the shoulder to avoid a head on collision. Some how they figure they have a right to turn a two lane road into a three lane sorta road.

Yeah, they just love treating you like the driver of a vehicle, eh?

Yeah, they just love treating you like the driver of a vehicle, eh?Well, they have done the same thing a couple of times when I was a motorist. So, you are correct.

http://sammamish.komonews.com/content/wsp-looking-witnesses-highway-202-collision-near-ames-lake

The Washington State Patrol is looking for witnesses who may have seen a minivan strike a bicyclist on Highway 202 (Redmond-Fall City Road) near Ames Lake Road, just east of Sammamish, on Saturday morning.

Troopers say that the bicyclist was in a group of 10 riders training with the Starbucks Racing Team, traveling westbound on the highway around 11:45 a.m., when the red minivan, possibly a Honda Odyssey, approached. Witnesses at the scene say the minivan was traveling at high speed and was being driven erratically on the eastbound side.

Suddenly, the minivan crossed the center line and started going faster as it passed some vehicles. It went almost all the way across the road and forced the rider, a 49-year-old man from Seattle, to crash his bike into a ditch to avoid being struck by the minivan.

The man suffered serious injuries in the incident and was taken to Overlake Hospital in Bellevue for treatment. None of the other cyclists were hurt.

WSP is asking anyone who may have seen the minivan or any part of the incident to contact Detective Stacy Moate at 425-401-7746.

http://sammamish.komonews.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/resize_story_image/100102_redmond_bike.jpg

Not to split hairs, but was the cyclist actually struck or did he avoid being struck by heading for the ditch on the side of the road?

As the article opens stating that the police are looking for witnesses who saw the minivan strike the cyclist, but further in it says that the cyclist went into the ditch to avoid being struck.

I would think that when and if the driver is found that if they didn't actually strike the cyclist that their lawyer would argue that it wasn't a hit-and-run, but a less serious charge of reckless driving.

Please don't get me wrong I do agree that the driver of the minivan needs to be held accountable for what they did that day. But what exactly did they do?

I was so glad to get to the end and read it wasn't a head-on ending in death. The cyclist was really in the moment and saved his own life. Hope I am as aware when my moment comes.

Sorry to see this happened. I ride this road fairly often, as do a lot of local cyclists. Hope they catch the guy.

This road carries a lot of high speed suburban traffic and there are very few safe places for cars to pass others along that stretch, but idiots are always trying to do it anyway.

I was out there at that time. We saw the starbucks guys earlier in the day. We must have been a few miles aread of them riding home on 202. Traffic wasnt any worse than usual, and I dont remember seeing any cars/vans doing anything stupid.

Also, keep in mind the van/bikes were traveling opposite directions. there is a shoulder, but not a big bike lane. Im thinking the rider saw the van cross the center line pretty far, assumed the driver lost control, and he veered off into the ditch to avoid what he thought was a head-on.