Advocacy & Safety - Cyclist kills pedestrian?!

Here's one you don;t see often...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011648470_pedestrian20m.html?syndication=rss

Originally published Monday, April 19, 2010 at 2:55 PM

Renton woman, 83, dies after being struck by bicyclist

An 83-year-old Renton woman has died after suffering critical head injuries in a collision with a bicycle on Sunday afternoon.

By Seattle Times staff

An 83-year-old Renton woman died Monday after suffering head injuries in a collision with a bicyclist on Sunday afternoon.

Just after 4:45 p.m. Sunday, Renton police were called to a collision involving a bicyclist and pedestrian on the Cedar River Trail, approximately a quarter mile east of Highway 405, according to Renton police Cmdr. Paul Cline.

The woman was walking east on the trail and two cyclists, also eastbound, came up behind her and off to her left side, Cline said in a news release. As the cyclists began to pass the woman, she stepped in front of them and was struck, Cline said.

Both the woman and the 57-year-old bicyclist were knocked to the ground, he said. The cyclist was treated at the scene for minor injuries and the woman was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with critical head injuries, Cline said.

A death investigator confirmed the woman's death was reported to the King County Medical Examiner's Office some time after noon on Monday. Her name and cause of death are expected to be released on Tuesday following an autopsy.

That almost happened to me! I was fiddling with my shifters and looking at the cassette of a bike I'd just adjusted, and I hit an elderly lady in a quiet neighbourhood. She was J-walking and I was not paying attention, so we were both at fault. I was badly concussed, lost 2 teeth, and she broke her elbow and needed surgery. We shared an ambulance and both needed oxygen.

Later I found out that though she was 70, she would read to the elderly in hospices, as well as fund programs for the underprivileged.

Basically I wiped out the Mother Theresa of Vancouver, BC.

Honestly, I almost hit a ped this weekend. I was racing a duathlon, and was hammering in the aerobars. Looked down for a bit too long and when I looked up I was right behind a walker on the side of the road. Felt like complete sh*t for getting that close to causing an accident that would have been painful for two people and 100% my fault.

On the street, and especially on the MUP, it's our responsibility to pass safely...even if the person steps in front of you when you say "on your left".

Here's one you don;t see often...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011648470_pedestrian20m.html?syndication=rss

Originally published Monday, April 19, 2010 at 2:55 PM

Renton woman, 83, dies after being struck by bicyclist

An 83-year-old Renton woman has died after suffering critical head injuries in a collision with a bicycle on Sunday afternoon.

By Seattle Times staff

An 83-year-old Renton woman died Monday after suffering head injuries in a collision with a bicyclist on Sunday afternoon.

Just after 4:45 p.m. Sunday, Renton police were called to a collision involving a bicyclist and pedestrian on the Cedar River Trail, approximately a quarter mile east of Highway 405, according to Renton police Cmdr. Paul Cline.

The woman was walking east on the trail and two cyclists, also eastbound, came up behind her and off to her left side, Cline said in a news release. As the cyclists began to pass the woman, she stepped in front of them and was struck, Cline said.

Both the woman and the 57-year-old bicyclist were knocked to the ground, he said. The cyclist was treated at the scene for minor injuries and the woman was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with critical head injuries, Cline said.

A death investigator confirmed the woman's death was reported to the King County Medical Examiner's Office some time after noon on Monday. Her name and cause of death are expected to be released on Tuesday following an autopsy.

He probably yelled "on your left".

Poor gal.

She was J-walking and I was not paying attention, so we were both at fault.

Sad thing is, you believe it!:(

That doesn't compute Mr. Beanz. If you imply it was a 100% his fault for not paying attention then you are weighing factors he does not have control over as a mechanism for safety.

If it was a car and she J-walked that doesn't auto-imply the car had a physical real world time to slow down. It may, but there-in lies the benefit of the doubt. Crap happens. Don't admire a gear change and don't walk across a road without looking. Both can be bad single or together.

That doesn't compute Mr. Beanz. If you imply it was a 100% his fault for not paying attention then you are weighing factors he does not have control over as a mechanism for safety.

If it was a car and she J-walked that doesn't auto-imply the car had a physical real world time to slow down. It may, but there-in lies the benefit of the doubt. Crap happens. Don't admire a gear change and don't walk across a road without looking. Both can be bad single or together.



Fiddling with shifter and lookng down at his cassette, not paying attention. Sure, you keep believing that but in reality, he could have prevented it! ;)

Obviously this will put us in circles, but your logic denotes that a pedestrian can go in any direction they want and no blame shall ever be put on them.

Obviously this will put us in circles, .

True so I won't waste my breath.;)





but your logic denotes that a pedestrian can go in any direction they want and no blame shall ever be put on them.

The reason it would go around in circles, you won't accept my logic.

Done!:D

Its like you have whiteman's shame but on a cyclist bean level... very intriguing and I'm not starting a race war (I'm Mexi-cano-ard)

...I simply am imply you feel guilty just because you are a cyclist. I do not agree with that. More responsibility? Yes. Total responsibility? No.

I was on an MUP recently and came up behind a couple with a dog. At the exact wrong moment, of course, the dog darts directly into my line - but it wasn't the wrong moment after all because I was fully expecting it and stopped short.
"Oh, sorry!" said the lady.
"No problem, " I said laughing. "I know dogs."
And indeed I do.
I also know about:

toddlers
people with earbuds/cellphones
small kids on small bikes
bigger kids on bikes too big
squirrels/chipmunks/snakes
skate boarders
mommies with SUV strollers
roller bladers
poseurs on their aero bars
and grandmas

And it seems they're all out to a) kill me or b) be killed by me. I avoid MUPs or become Mr. Mellow while I'm on one. I hate to say it, but I think these two cyclists are at fault - if you're that close, you simply *must* be prepared to stop, and that means going slower than they obviously were.

I guess the lady forgot her redneck repellant.

Freaking redneck cyclists!!

MUPs aren't for training or for rapid transit, folks! If you're in close proximity to pedestrians, you've got to slow down enough to stop in the event they take an unexpected turn.

I was on an MUP recently and came up behind a couple with a dog. At the exact wrong moment, of course, the dog darts directly into my line - but it wasn't the wrong moment after all because I was fully expecting it and stopped short.
"Oh, sorry!" said the lady.
"No problem, " I said laughing. "I know dogs."
And indeed I do.
I also know about:

toddlers
people with earbuds/cellphones
small kids on small bikes
bigger kids on bikes too big
squirrels/chipmunks/snakes
skate boarders
mommies with SUV strollers
roller bladers
poseurs on their aero bars
and grandmas
.

lol did you have to list everything else you know about...

Its like you have whiteman's shame but on a cyclist bean level... very intriguing and I'm not starting a race war (I'm Mexi-cano-ard)

...I simply am imply you feel guilty just because you are a cyclist. I do not agree with that. More responsibility? Yes. Total responsibility? No.

WTF!:roflmao2:........Like I said........:D

I guess the lady forgot her redneck repellant.

Freaking redneck cyclists!!

MUPs aren't for training or for rapid transit, folks! If you're in close proximity to pedestrians, you've got to slow down enough to stop in the event they take an unexpected turn.

How did redneck get dragged into it?

I'm way more comfortable riding with cagers than peds. Generally I know what to expect from cagers. But peds are so darn unpredictable.

We had a similar, nasty accident on an organized ride a couple of years ago. Pack of 20-30 riders, pseudo-racing, passed an elderly lady on her bike. OK, she wasn't a pedestrian, but her unsignaled, left turn towards a grocery store has similarities to this scenario. There was a pile-up, the lady hit her head, and she died later of her injuries.

From all accounts, the pack passed her legally -- no legal fault was laid on them -- but it underscores the importance of being extra cautious.

MUPs aren't for training or for rapid transit, folks!

+100

+100 on a need for reading comprehension. The report didn't indicate that the cyclists were doing either of those things.

My read is that they were just biking along. Not sweating it. And she moved left at the wrong time (I wished she had moved right so that would sound better). Bang! Old people fall hard. You can't avoid everybody all the time. Maybe they could have given more room. Maybe they could have gone slower.

How many peds have you passed this year? Every one of them could have darted into your path but they didn't. I hope her family understands but I doubt it.

I wasn't referring to the main article the OP stated, but to, tkehler. Checking gearing and looking down on a MUP is indeed stupid, but thats not what I am talking about... and on a completely unrelated note... I'm sure professional racers never have accidents with pedestrians either.. you know, with their keen ability to predict the entire events of time and space they must know exactly when to pass someone @ 2 mph instead of 15 when going on a hill.

I wasn't referring to the main article the OP stated, but to, tkehler. Checking gearing and looking down on a MUP is indeed stupid, but thats not what I am talking about... and on a completely unrelated note... I'm sure professional racers never have accidents with pedestrians either.. you know, with their keen ability to predict the entire events of time and space they must know exactly when to pass someone @ 2 mph instead of 15 when going on a hill.

why do we need an unrelated note?

Sad story. Be careful out there.

I think we can all agree that this was a tragic situation.

Active MUPs can be some of the worst riding around. When peds are around I end up slowing to basically a fast walk pace and make sure everyone knows I'm there before passing. It's all about communication.

I'm not too sure why this is in Road. I'm not moving it, yet. Copy and paste jobs and threads about pedestrian accidents remind me much more of P&R or A&S.

My read is that they were just biking along. Not sweating it. And she moved left at the wrong time (I wished she had moved right so that would sound better). Bang! Old people fall hard. You can't avoid everybody all the time. Maybe they could have given more room. Maybe they could have gone slower.

How many peds have you passed this year? Every one of them could have darted into your path but they didn't. I hope her family understands but I doubt it.

Uhm, no. You can avoid hitting anyone on a bike path. You just have to realize that pedestrians are in fact going to dart in front of you, and you have to pass with enough margin that you get past them even if they do the stupidist thing possible, or slow enough to stop when they do.

Anyone that has ever ridden on a MUP knows pedestrians (and other cyclists) will move directly in front of you with no warning. Riding in a fashion that doesn't account for that is not reasonable.

this is why I stay the eff off the MUP.

I've been on that trail a few times. It's pretty wide but I can only imagine how crowded it must have been this weekend due to the good weather in the area. I wonder how much that factored into the collision.

Wow, first off I feel terrible for everyone involved.

On a second note, as a cyclist who assumed the role of a pedestrian this past sunday I can argue that bikes ultimately have the responsibility to assure they're traveling at a safe speed and distance from slower/stationary objects.

My brother and I ran a half-marathon in Sacramento this 18th, we ran on the American River Bike/Walk trail and was shocked at the proximity/speed of the cyclists. We even had a couple rude comments. Overall, everyone was quite civil, but the whole time I was running the cyclists were riding too fast and too close to the oncoming herd of runners.

Its fortunate there were no accidents.

I have heard of many of these sorts of accidents on MUPs and sidewalks. Back when bike messengers were all the rage, there were a number of gruesome accidents in New York that made the news.

We all need to be careful out there. I was walking on a local MUP the other day and noted how intimidating it is to be passed by a fast cyclist, or even a moderately swift cyclist, at close range. I try to keep that feeling in mind when riding on MUPs.

this is why I stay the eff off the MUP.

Now I just expect that an MUP ride will be slow, like 12-15mph or slower. If I want to ride any faster than that, without interruptions, I go elsewhere.

I'm not too sure why this is in Road. I'm not moving it, yet. Copy and paste jobs and threads about pedestrian accidents remind me much more of P&R or A&S. I think it's important and appropriate. Must of us, at least in urban areas, encounter pedestrians all the time. It is good for us to remember to "share the road" and remember that we are not always on closed courses.

After some Mod discussion, it was considered best to move this to Advocacy & Safety (from Road Cycling). Any questions, please PM me.

--Juha, a Forum Mod

Very sad story.

Remember: Always yield to pedestrians

I don't care if they jaywalk in front of you. Do your best to avoid hitting them.

Is this the first time a ped was killed by a cyclist in recent times? I believe so, but some of you know much more than I do.

They aren't issuing a ticket to the cyclist.

I've been on the Cedar River Trail. It's a decent path, like any other, goes by several parks, isn't as crowded as several others in the area, but, because of the parkland and apartment buildings it abuts, there can be packs of peds, especially grouped up in a few spots.

I haven't heard anything about how fast the cyclist was going. I'm sure he's feeling pretty awful right now, physically and emotionally.

Active MUPs can be some of the worst riding around. When peds are around I end up slowing to basically a fast walk pace and make sure everyone knows I'm there before passing. It's all about communication.

Years ago I came across a study rating dangers of various cycling environments. It was rather interesting that bike paths were both the safest and most dangerous! Dedicated bike paths were the safest, MUPs the most dangerous.

this is why I stay the eff off the MUP.

Absolutely agree. Those things are freaking dangerous!! I actually almost got killed a couple of years ago by a car that went airborne after jumping a curb and onto the MUP I was on. But the bigger danger is the peds, skaters, full-carbon speed racers, etc.

this is why I stay the eff off the MUP.

+ a billion. I did the Cape Cod Rail Trail last year... never again. In order to do it safely, you have to go ridiculously slow, and it's no fun. So, to save myself the aggravation, I just avoid MUP's altogether now, unless I'm doing a super slow cruise with the wife. That aside, this really is a sad story. I feel for everyone involved, and I'm not going to waste time trying to blame someone. Just tragic.

Years ago I came across a study rating dangers of various cycling environments. It was rather interesting that bike paths were both the safest and most dangerous! Dedicated bike paths were the safest, MUPs the most dangerous.

Yeah but that "level of danger" doesn't take severity of injury into account. I'd much rather collide with another cyclist and scrape my knees than get hit by a car going 30MPH.

This was a freak collision with a frail older woman. There is a good chance a slip in the bathtub may have done her in too.

Is this the first time a ped was killed by a cyclist in recent times? I believe so, but some of you know much more than I do.

No, it is not. I have heard of such collisions quite a few times. Maybe not always resulting in death but certainly in serious injury.

On the MUP I think you always have to assume that whoever you are passing is going to do something dumb. You have to slow down and watch them as you approach so you are always ready to react. You will usually be wrong but you will be ready when something does happen.

I love bikes, but pacelines, aerobars and hardcore training belong on the road, not MUPs.

I have also been guilty of glancing at the bike after an adjustment or something when I should have been looking at the road. That is an easy and dangerous mistake to make.

Is this the first time a ped was killed by a cyclist in recent times? I believe so, but some of you know much more than I do.

There was one in Toronto last summer. A 15 year old boy riding his BMX on the sidewalk hit and killed a 56 year old woman. Bikes with tire sizes smaller than 24" are allowed on the sidewalks in Toronto (and many other Ontario municipalities), so no charges were laid.

linky:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/678257

What cyclists say: "On your left".

What others hear: "Mumble mumble left".

What cyclists say: "On your left".

What others hear: "Mumble mumble left".
Good point. They seem to hear "Please move to your left." That's the opposite of what is intended.

"On your left" is jargon that's specific to cyclists. I have better success with peds when I say something like "Please keep right" or even "Bike!" A bell would probably do the job even better.

(BTW, the teen cyclists in my town are remarkably polite. They usually say "Excuse me!" when overtaking a walker.)

When cyclist rings bell: "ding, ding"

What others hear: "ding, ding"

I prefer a bell way more than the vocal warning by cyclists. I may not be able to hear the voice of cyclists from afar while in a sidewalk.

What cyclists say: "On your left".

What others hear: "Mumble mumble left".

That's why I don't say "on your left." I greet the people and say "bike approaching." With a greeting, if I get a response, I know they can hear and are not IPOD zombies. With "bike approaching," I let them decide what to do and I respond. Of course all this means I have to slow down a bit... which is a good idea anyway, and I speak loudly. I rarely have problems with people on the MUP.

Bear in mind that we cyclists have to watch for peds, just as much as we'd like motorists to watch for us... try to do your part well.

I hate cyclists who ride fast on MUPs as much as I hate aggressive drivers. Seriously. Slow down. No one gets "on your left" anyway.