Here I am usually worried about some soccer mom not paying attention and blasting me while riding...

Coming home today on a nice 45mph main road (in the car) and some bright roadie on a sweet SuperSix, all kitted out, blows a stop sign to my right at full speed coming out of the development he lives in and attempts to take the lane.... the only problem was my car was already occupying it. He went over, bike went under, and is at this time a mass of carbon fiber with no appreciable shape.

Biker gets up screaming, at the same time a county cop that was coming the other way stops, having seen the entire thing. He actualy gave the biker a "Failure to obey a traffic control device" ticket and sent me on my way with the guys info for my ins company.. Other than a lot of blacktop rash and fully torn Cannondale kit guy seemed fine. Bike was utter and complete toast, I ran over it with front and back wheels and it balled up under the car. Once the discussion started with the cop, and the guy realized I bike (d'oh, the Yakima rack setup on the roof might be the *first* indication!), he calmed down, but he certainly wanted it to be my fault regardless of the several eyewitnesses. Everyone said guy never slowed at his stop (I didn't have one), and appeared to actually be trying to be accelerating trying to get in front of me .

Be careful out there!

-R

I'm glad you didn't have to suffer the stress of a dead cyclist, even with it being his fault.

I'm sure it was stressful, even with him being alright.

Glad he ended up alright, with just stuff damaged to teach him a lesson.

You were lucky in a lot of ways. First to have so many witnesses, one of which is a police officer. Then no one was really hurt except for maybe your nerves and his pocket book.

What I can't figure out how he thought there was even a small chance that it was your fault.

Just goes to show you, slow down when your in your car (when I say "you" it is in general terms not that you weren't obeying traffic laws). I see so many people exceeding the speed limit in places such as MUP crossings. Is it really worth hitting someone to save 5 minutes. Also, if you are on your bike, obey the traffic laws. It's really not worth risking your life to blow through a stop sign.

Oh, there'll be somebody here who will hail the cyclist for taking his lane.

To the OP, good to hear that all the luck went your way. Might want to put the car on a lift and be sure that the bike didn't tear anything up, too.

Damn idiot cyclists. His acting the fool probably made it easier for you to not feel somehow at fault.

Didn't take long.. ^^^

Ummmmmmmmmm, yeah.

Let me be clear: You were not at all at fault.

Ok, all's good. That could have been taken either way.

I see no way he could have honestly thought you where at fault even in the smallest way.

Sometimes people feel as if they share the blame or responsibility for something even if they did nothing in any way to cause it. Not an unusual reaction. That doesn't mean they were at fault. The cyclist that ran the stop sign was at fault in this case.

we have to stop at stop signs???? how about red lights**********

I'd have to agree. Even now I'm still in the "could I have done something differently" mode. As a cyclist, and after having had close calls over the years I try to be more attuned when driving the car when I know or believe a cyclist may be in the vicinity. No matter which way I try to slice or dice this I can't come up with a way I could have done anything differently.

But that little "nudge" from an internet forum did indeed fire the old brain neurons again. Thanks again for clarifying what you meant.

But there is now a part of me that thinks to that scene of a balled up Cannondale and the few grand that it cost and makes me think "betcha won't do that again, because that has to hurt to look at!"

Hopefully the other guy learned a lesson or two.

Good on cyclist for thinking about taking the lane.

However, this plan obviously neglected some steps up to that point. Like traffic signs.

He gets a "Fail" for poor planning and execution.

He can sue you for the cost of his bike and depending where you live can win,so be prepared to buy him a new bike.Better consider having your insurance company buy him a new bike.

Bikes are not motor driven vehicles and they are in some locales no different than a runner or walker in the middle of the street.

So the real question is.... HOW'S YOUR CAR????
I would have been super pisssssed! Especially since it was so obviously his fault.
Then again I like my car as much as I like my bike, which is probably not the norm around here.

I suppose this could happen *someplace* - but not in the US, much less in Virginia.

And I seriously doubt it would happen in European countries with presumptions in favor of cyclists, since these presumptions can be rebutted - and fairly easily in this case, I would think.

Had to replace a rear strut that was smashed in. It's the "commuter" car, I try not to be too anal about it. Had it been my Jeep he'd have been dead, if not from the accident then by my strangling him! I'm the same way as you it sounds, a waaay bit picky about my vehicles.

And mark9950, no chance of my being at fault. Cop even said that was the primary reason for the "Failure to obey a traffic control device" citation for the rider.

-Roger

I want to be the judge to hear that case, because I would throw him out on his ass and tell him to suck it up and buy a friggin' Huffy.

Why can't people take responsibility for their mistakes.
So many people are looking to point the finger immediately. It is their first instinct, and it's getting worse out there.

S.

Would you have hit him if he was 12 years old?

???

What, you mean would the cyclist have hit the driver if the driver was 12 years old?

I mean, that's what happened.

Ah, well that makes me feel a little bit better. Whew!
But dammmmmmn... that's still some surprising damage. I bet you it was his wheel that did that since his carbon fiber frame probably disintegrated on contact.

Did you get his auto insurance information, then? I wouldn't let him get away with his insurance not paying just because he was riding a bike. (and I happen to detest cars, personally...)