eric von zipper

Just saw this on the news. He was a member here on BF.

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/cri...y/1604061.html

APEX -- A well-known biking enthusiast died Saturday after a collision with a car at the intersection of South Salem Street and Apex Peakway, Apex police said.

Bruce Rosar, 56, of Cary, has been bicycling in the Triangle area for years, serving as director of the N.C. Active Transportation Alliance and founding member of numerous other organizations, according to his Web site.

Rosar and a Honda passenger car were traveling along South Salem Street when the accident happened just before noon Saturday, said Capt. Ann Stephens of the Apex Police Department.


Rosar was transported to WakeMed in Raleigh, where he was pronounced dead.

The accident remains under investigation. Police aren't releasing the name of the driver of the car.

Stephens said several witnesses stayed behind, but about four or five other vehicles were also in the area when it happened.

"If anybody else, whether another cyclist or motorist that witnessed the accident, we would like to hear from them," Stephens said.

Anybody with information should call Apex police at 362-6661.

Stephens said that Rosar had been traveling with other bicyclists earlier in the day, but was riding on his own at the time of the accident.

AlmostTrick

Rest in peace Mr Rosar. You will be missed by many.

mattotoole

Thanks Eric.

Here's a link to the TV news story: https://www.wral.com/news/local/video/5554424/

Our thoughts all day have been with our colleague James Rosar, who is Bruce's brother, Bruce's wife Margaret, and all of their family and friends.

Bruce was an important voice in bike advocacy and had accomplished quite a lot.

CB HI

Sad. Another story says Bruce made a left turn in front of the car (has link to a street view).

https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5553372/

sggoodri

Actually, the collision happened further northeast at the intersection with Apex Peakway (Google maps lists it as Cardinal Boulevard).

Witnesses say that Bruce was at the back of a pack of about 50 riders, some of whom turned left to split off the pack, the rest of whom proceeded straight. South Salem Street is two lanes with no left turn pocket. Some of the cyclists there speculate that a substantial volume of traffic overtaking on the left may have complicated turning left since it required monitoring both directions at once in case an overtaking driver ignored the cyclist's signal. Witnesses claim that he was scanning for traffic behind immediately before turning left. I personally believe that bike traffic ahead of him and the prior bend of the road to the right may have reduced the conspicuity of the oncoming car as well.

By showing what can happen to the very best of us, this event is especially unsettling. At the same time, it reinforces Bruce's own point that cyclists have a great deal of power and responsibility regarding their own safety on the road. I'm sure that Bruce would want us to keep that in mind when we cycle, but most of all, keep cycling.

Bruce has been a tremendous asset to the cycling community here in NC and had many friends. His bicycling advocacy biography may be found here: https://brucewr.home.mindspring.com/ec/biography.html
Bruce has also cycled across NC with Cycle North Carolina multiple times and frequently tandemed with his wife, Margaret. Bruce's other passion was paddling, both kayaking and canoeing. Bruce traveled through many of the state's most beautiful places under his own power.

genec

Oh wow. RIP Bruce... my condolences to the family.

Bekologist

RIP Bruce.

Sad to hear of a death of any cyclist, even one working dilligently to reduce ridership in his community with his commitment to autocentric road designs and the wide lanes "still cause and can increase intersection conflicts" infrastructure he has helped push on unwitting bicyclists.

My condolences to the family and friends of the victim, but I wonder a few things about the accident -

was Bruce using a mirror? was he rightfully claiming the lane to make the left or was he feeling pressured by motorists behind him? Did he not want to stop in the middle of the road to let oncoming traffic pass before making the left?

the tenets of vehicular cycling obviously failed him. a tragedy of compounding circumstances.

RIP Bruce.

jimlamb

There's an updated story on the local newspaper's web site with some unsettling comments:
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/cri...y/1604320.html

I-Like-To-Bike

I didn't see any comments, perhaps they were edited out.

Though I often disagreed with Bruce's ideas on cycling advocacy I always admired his gentlemanly way of expressing them. He will be missed by all who knew him or of him.

genec

Roll down the page a bit more... there is an empty block just below the "Comments" title, but I believe that is the input area... a bit further down are the actual comments...

Below is just a "taste..." sigh... the usual nonsense...

alicestrong

Sorry to hear this. He will be missed by many I am sure. Condolences to his family and friends.

Amani576

I heard about this last night on TV, it truly is a sad thing. I never met Rosar, but I likely hold some of the very same feelings he himself did. This is a great loss, for everyone.
-Gene-

esther-L

If you use one of the 'do not run scripts' add-ins on your browser, that may make the comments not show up.

kenkayak

10/4 on that young man resting in peace[Bruce Rosar] /Kenneth

I-Like-To-Bike

I already tried temporarily enabling all scripts on the newsobserver site and still no comments. Not a problem, I can guess the reactions from reader dimwits.

I am interested in an accurate description of the accident scenario and the actions preceding the collision if and when such information becomes available.

eric von zipper

I did my undergrad and grad work at UNCW and have a 99.9% idea about who this is, unfortunately. He stirs the pot to make a name for himself as a controversial professor in the world of 'liberal' academia. It's a shame he can't show a little respect with his comments, really.

Rex G

Rest in peace.

RobbieTunes

He will be missed. He advocated education for both cyclists and motorists, with a goal of both groups realizing the potential for disaster, and a new mindset about the paved routes we all need to operate on.

I did not know him, but knew of him. He was known as a very reasonable person with a pragmatic approach to riding safely. He left a pretty big hole in the cycling community there.

Unfortunately, most motorists will have no problem assigning blame to those darn bicycles who inconvenience them by actually using the roads.

mev

Bruce Rosar, rest in peace, your work for cycling advocacy will be missed.

jimlamb thanks for your replies on other newspaper article. Quite frankly, I wouldn't let the UNCWprof comments get to you too much. I find a few of his comments extremely crass at a time just after Bruce has been killed, and insensitive to family and friends that may be reading the same articles. However, I also think they speak for themselves in reflecting quite poorly on the UNCWprof.

Bikepacker67

Can't ya give us a clue who the jackazz is?

Bikepacker67

Why does this not surprise me?

fholt

There are several pages of comments, however UNCWProf gets the ball started with a post stating "The honda driver should get a medal".

UNCW must be proud. I expect that if/when this posters identity comes out, or becomes known to the UNCW administration - we'll see a heartfelt apology. Til then, here's another internet toughguy, on the sub-human scale.

Ride safe.

JohnBrooking

That's going a little far, don't you think? It's usually the VC people who are accused of taking one instance of personal tragedy and claiming that it proves their ideology. VC doesn't claim that it prevents 100% of collisions, or that people don't sometimes still make mistakes in judgment. In this case, it's still unclear who ultimately made the mistake, although it sounds like it may have been Bruce, or why he made it. We may never know. But if he made the mistake, it's not VC's fault, it's his, and it sounds like he's the type of person who would be the first to admit it, if he could.

Agreed. I never met Bruce, but having seen his name here and there, and reading about everything he's done, this makes me very sad.

Bekologist

I don't think it's going too far to say that VC failed Bruce, or Bruce failed VC -

but out of respect for Bruce's friends and family will take it to another thread.

RIP fellow rider Bruce.

rando

geez, this is sad. One of our own. condolences to Bruce's Friends and family.