Another senseless accident
 

This occured right in front of my apartment complex. The road is a 2 lane rural road that comes into the city. The speed limit is 45 but people always do 65 +. There is a grade school on one side of the road and my apartment complex on the other. Right where the accident occurs, there is a large (blind) curve in the road. No bike lanes. The next controlled intersection is literally not even 1/2 mile away from where this occcured. Appartently, this 16-year old needed to get to that controlled intersection in such a hurry that she passed another car on a blind curve probably doing 60+. From all accounts, this cyclist did nothing wrong. Proof that anything can happen out there. Please be safe on bike to work week:


Man injured in bike vs. car crash in Ledgeview
May 13, 2008

A 57-year-old Ledgeview man is in critical condition at a local hospital after he was hit by a vehicle Monday while riding his bicycle.

The accident happened at 7:40 p.m. on Heritage Road just west of Swan Road, said Brown County Sheriff's Department Lt. Kevin Wickman.

Wickman said it appears the westbound 16-year-old female driver hit the eastbound man while trying to pass another vehicle.

Deputies blocked off Heritage Road and were still at the scene at 10 p.m., Wickman said.

The accident remains under investigation.

— Corinthia McCoy/Press-Gazette

-lane positioning comment here-

...And it's okay for people to keep doing 20 mph over the limit; and in a school zone no less??!!

The issue is more of she was passing another vehicle on a blind curve.

Speed kills.

Not to defend the driver, but "westbound at 7:40 pm" she was driving into the sun.

It seems likely that the glare from the sun may have been a contributing factor...combined with her lack of experience, and lack of good judgement, of course.

um... then don't pass?! Although she passed on a blind corner, might as well do it into the setting sun.

Can I correctly assume this road was divided by double yellow line where the pass occurred?

Al

Noted;

-comment about driver education being not thorough enough-

-comment about speed limits being too high-

- comment about revoking license until 25 -

-comment about over powered cars and teen drivers-

Actually, I'd have second-guessed putting a school close to such a fast road.

And teen drivers don't need overpowered cars to drive stupidly, either. ;)

That was no accident.

-comment on how comments need no commenting-

There's a winding road near me that I use often that has three blind turns almost consecutively. The limit is 50km/h (Canada), and I can't even remember how many times I've been going around 55, only to be passed on a double yellow by some moron going at least 70. I've also biked this road many times, and see other bikers using it, too, and I know that it's an accident waiting to happen. I absolutely hate people who care so little for anyone else's well being that they'll potentially endanger lives to get to who-knows-where 10 seconds sooner.

I always wish that the cops will be just around the corner when something like this happens.

If you go with that theory, accidents don't really exist.

7:30pm, doesn't really matter, and during school hours it should drop to 25. If it's enforced, hard to say... but typically when there are students out and about people tend to actually slow down.

cellular records should be pulled to determine if she was text-messaging and/or chatting at the time of the accident.

Real accidents, being an incident no one has any control over, are very rare.

Wrecks or crashes, such as this one, are caused by people that act in an incompetent manner, or do something stupid.

Calling a crash an "accident" is just a PC way of not assigning blame when it is deserved.

Laws of physics says this doesn't exist.

Exactly!!
This has been one of my pet peeves for years. By calling things like this an 'accident,' it allows people to avoid responsibility. This was no accident, it wasn't caused by something out of the control of the person who caused it (the 16 year old girl). It was completely avoidable, thus NOT an accident.

It constantly amazes me that our society tolerates injuries and deaths caused by people in cars, yet if those exact same injuries or deaths were caused by a gun or a knife, the perpertrator would be charged with a felony and go to prison, doing hard time. Why is killing or hurting someone with a vehicle not as bad as killing or hurting someone with a gun or knife or poison? There's no logic to it.

Because using a vehicle is not (usually) with the intent of hurting someone, whereas the actual purpose of guns, knives, and poisons is to kill or injure.

I still agree that almost all "accidents" are avoidable (everything apart from earthquakes, falling trees, and deer), and at least one person has to carry the blame for it.

Really? How is that?

Enforcement, enforcement, enforcement--the average non-minority, non-poor motorist needs to feel an oppressive fear of police whenever they are in/on a motor vehicle. Fear works--it would be a sign of progress to hear the the choice is being made to cycle, walk, or use mass transit because of scary stories re police stopping motorists.

an accident is something that lacks intent, not responsibility or control.