Yikes! 4 deaths in 5 days from RTD!
04-08-10, 01:11 AM
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Yikes! 4 deaths in 5 days from RTD!
Cyclist Becomes 4th Denver-Area Bus-Crash Fatality
LAFAYETTE, Colo. (CBS4/AP) ―
A cyclist hit by a bus in Lafayette on Wednesday has died, making him the fourth fatality in five days involving a Regional Transportation District bus.
Authorities in the city about 20 miles north of Denver said Marvin "Chip" Webb, 42, of Lafayette died Wednesday. Police say a bus collided with the cyclist as it pulled onto a road Tuesday night.
Webb, who own's Chip's Place, a café in Lafayette, died at Denver Health Medical Center Wednesday afternoon, the Boulder County coroner's office said.
Scott Reed, RTD spokesman, said the driver, whose name wasn't released, has worked for the agency for five years and has a clean driving record. Reed said footage from video cameras on the bus should help in the investigation.
Friends say Webb had a larger-than-life personality who gave his organs at death. They say he gave a lot to the community.
"I don't think there's one person in this town that doesn't know him. He had the biggest heart. He would bend over backwards for anybody, no matter what the situation," friend Tara Proffitt said.
Proffitt was one of the first people to arrive at the scene after Webb was hit.
"It was pretty hard to imagine; didn't seem like it was real," she said.
"There was no indication at the time that anyone had violated any traffic signals," Cmdr. Mark Battersby with the Lafayette Police Department said.
A man who died after being struck by an RTD bus Monday in Aurora has been identified as Clinton Grider, 78. Police said witnesses told them the Aurora man was hit by the bus, but they don't know how the accident happened.
In Denver, police say an RTD bus that ran a red light crashed into two vehicles Saturday, killing two people and injuring a dozen. The driver, Tideneykiyalesh Hawariyat, works for Veolia Transportation, a private contractor for RTD, a publicly funded agency.
The 30-year-old Hawariyat has been charged with a total of 13 misdemeanor counts of careless driving resulting in death and serious bodily injury.
Reed said RTD will conduct refresher training for all its bus drivers, including private contractors, starting next week.
"We've been sending periodic data messages to each bus reminding them that safety is their number one priority," Reed said.
https://cbs4denver.com/local/RTD.Lafa...2.1616244.html
LAFAYETTE, Colo. (CBS4/AP) ―
A cyclist hit by a bus in Lafayette on Wednesday has died, making him the fourth fatality in five days involving a Regional Transportation District bus.
Authorities in the city about 20 miles north of Denver said Marvin "Chip" Webb, 42, of Lafayette died Wednesday. Police say a bus collided with the cyclist as it pulled onto a road Tuesday night.
Webb, who own's Chip's Place, a café in Lafayette, died at Denver Health Medical Center Wednesday afternoon, the Boulder County coroner's office said.
Scott Reed, RTD spokesman, said the driver, whose name wasn't released, has worked for the agency for five years and has a clean driving record. Reed said footage from video cameras on the bus should help in the investigation.
Friends say Webb had a larger-than-life personality who gave his organs at death. They say he gave a lot to the community.
"I don't think there's one person in this town that doesn't know him. He had the biggest heart. He would bend over backwards for anybody, no matter what the situation," friend Tara Proffitt said.
Proffitt was one of the first people to arrive at the scene after Webb was hit.
"It was pretty hard to imagine; didn't seem like it was real," she said.
"There was no indication at the time that anyone had violated any traffic signals," Cmdr. Mark Battersby with the Lafayette Police Department said.
A man who died after being struck by an RTD bus Monday in Aurora has been identified as Clinton Grider, 78. Police said witnesses told them the Aurora man was hit by the bus, but they don't know how the accident happened.
In Denver, police say an RTD bus that ran a red light crashed into two vehicles Saturday, killing two people and injuring a dozen. The driver, Tideneykiyalesh Hawariyat, works for Veolia Transportation, a private contractor for RTD, a publicly funded agency.
The 30-year-old Hawariyat has been charged with a total of 13 misdemeanor counts of careless driving resulting in death and serious bodily injury.
Reed said RTD will conduct refresher training for all its bus drivers, including private contractors, starting next week.
"We've been sending periodic data messages to each bus reminding them that safety is their number one priority," Reed said.
https://cbs4denver.com/local/RTD.Lafa...2.1616244.html
Last edited by Speedwagon98; 04-08-10 at 02:02 AM.
04-08-10, 03:09 AM
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"We've been sending periodic data messages to each bus reminding them that safety is their number one priority,"
That doesn't sound distracting at all(sending text messages to a busy driver)
That doesn't sound distracting at all(sending text messages to a busy driver)
04-08-10, 08:12 AM
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Or you can also look at the fact only one of these is known to be the driver's fault.
The other two are mostly inconclusive, and we may never have enough evidence to prove anyone was at fault.
Fact of the matter is that these were three very rare incidents that all seemed to happen at once. This is the first time in years I've heard of a fatality due to a bus driver.
Of course, ask Robert Hurst how he feels about RTD, he has some bad luck with 'em.
The other two are mostly inconclusive, and we may never have enough evidence to prove anyone was at fault.
Fact of the matter is that these were three very rare incidents that all seemed to happen at once. This is the first time in years I've heard of a fatality due to a bus driver.
Of course, ask Robert Hurst how he feels about RTD, he has some bad luck with 'em.
04-08-10, 08:59 AM
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You're right that RTD employs a lot of really careful professionals with great safety records. They also hire from lowest-bidder contractors a lot of really angry idiots who don't even know the basic rules of the road, and don't care.
I don't know the details of what exactly happened to the poor bicyclist in Lafayette. Because of my experience with these matters, until I hear conclusive proof to the contrary I'm inclined to believe that the driver was attemptiing a hostile pass and got too close.
04-08-10, 07:23 PM
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There seems to be some good reason why Portland cyclist may dislike public bus drivers:
https://bikeportland.org/2006/01/13/cyclist-sues-trimet/
https://bikeportland.org/2006/01/23/w...like-cyclists/
https://bikeportland.org/2006/05/25/w...abs-on-trimet/
https://bikeportland.org/2006/11/03/a...ing-next-week/
https://bikeportland.org/2006/01/13/cyclist-sues-trimet/
https://bikeportland.org/2006/01/23/w...like-cyclists/
https://bikeportland.org/2006/05/25/w...abs-on-trimet/
https://bikeportland.org/2006/11/03/a...ing-next-week/
04-08-10, 08:43 PM
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Denver doesn't have the market cornered on hostile, arrogant transit drivers that do not know the rules of the road.
RIP, Chip.
RIP, Chip.
04-12-10, 12:48 PM
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The most bizarre promo was the claim that RTD drivers were as safe as other metro areas, but the contract drivers had twice the accidents than the regular drivers.
The biggest question I have is why are lawyers not drooling over this situation and filing suits.
The biggest question I have is why are lawyers not drooling over this situation and filing suits.
04-12-10, 12:55 PM
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The ironic part about the above, is state law requires them to operate so many contracted buses:
From: https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...22/detail.html
From: https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...22/detail.html
Private contractors operate about 45 percent of RTD's bus service under a state law requiring that a certain portion of the agency's bus service be privately operated.
04-12-10, 01:26 PM
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You gonna eat that?
Bus drivers, in my experience, are prone to do really unpredictable stuff. I was hugging the double yelllow preparing to make a left turn. I had previously signalled and moved left, then went to signal my turn and almost touched a city bus that was passing me on the left after crossing the double yellow. If the bus came by maybe a second later, I would have already been starting my turn and he would have creamed me. (Ever since then I've used a helmet mirror.) I've seen them do several other risky maneuvers (risky to me, not so much to them). There is a plan to make Bus Only lanes in the downtown area into Bus and Bicycle Only lanes. That prospect frightens me; I think it's only a matter of time after that is implemented until a cyclist gets squished.
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04-12-10, 08:41 PM
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Another cyclist got hit and killed last night in Denver. https://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14868457
But not by a bus.
It's not bus drivers; it's the weather.
It's nice out now, so there are all kinds of yokels out cycling recklessly.
But not by a bus.
It's not bus drivers; it's the weather.
It's nice out now, so there are all kinds of yokels out cycling recklessly.
04-15-10, 09:23 AM
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Another cyclist got hit and killed last night in Denver. https://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14868457
But not by a bus.
It's not bus drivers; it's the weather.
It's nice out now, so there are all kinds of yokels out cycling recklessly.
But not by a bus.
It's not bus drivers; it's the weather.
It's nice out now, so there are all kinds of yokels out cycling recklessly.
The cyclist killed by an RTD in Lafayette, CO, Chip Webb, was riding lawfully with a light when he was run down, according to the latest reports. Riding home from a night at the bowling alley. RTD spokeman had said the driver had a good record, turns out he had a DUI and a previous careless driving v. cyclist.
I would include a link to the Denver Post article but for some reason Bikeforums won't let me. Probably an issue with my outdated browser. I'll put the link on my website though.
04-15-10, 09:52 AM
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that company clearly has a cultural problem. poor hiring; poor training; poor ongoing training.
"We've been sending periodic data messages to each bus reminding them that safety is their number one priority,"
this obviously doesn't work, nor does hiring drivers with bad records.
after one of their buses ran a red light and killed 2 people the whole company should have been investigated and shut down by the authorities. I'm afraid to say this won't be the last fatality by this company. not under the current management and culture
"We've been sending periodic data messages to each bus reminding them that safety is their number one priority,"
this obviously doesn't work, nor does hiring drivers with bad records.
after one of their buses ran a red light and killed 2 people the whole company should have been investigated and shut down by the authorities. I'm afraid to say this won't be the last fatality by this company. not under the current management and culture
04-15-10, 10:17 AM
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RTD driver charged in cyclist fatality had prior incident
https://www.denverpost.com/ci_14886146
Originally Posted by DenverPost
An RTD bus driver faces a charge of careless driving resulting in death as a result of the collision that killed bicyclist Marvin "Chip" Webb last week.
Paul John Johnson, 67, of Westminster was issued a summons Tuesday by Lafayette police.
It is the second time Johnson has faced charges of careless driving behind the wheel of a bus in connection with a bicyclist.
In June 2003, a little less than a year after joining RTD, Johnson brushed a cyclist on Baseline Road in Boulder, said RTD spokesman Scott Reed.
Johnson was unaware of that until the cyclist caught up to the bus and became irate, but when Johnson offered to call in the incident, the cyclist left.
The next day, Johnson was charged with careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. The latter charge was dropped. Johnson pleaded no contest to careless driving, and no points were assessed on his driver's license, Reed said.
Public records also show that in 1994, Johnson pleaded guilty to drunken driving in Adams County. Reed said the DUI conviction was off Johnson's driving record by the time he joined RTD eight years later.
Johnson is on suspension while the transit agency conducts its own investigation.
Johnson's bus was turning left onto South Public Road at City Center Circle at 9:46 p.m. April 6 when it struck Webb, who died from his injuries the next day. Webb had recently opened Chip's Place, a breakfast spot in Lafayette about 10 blocks from the accident scene.
In the hours after he died, restaurant patrons posted farewell messages on the door of the cafe.
"Goodbye Chip, we will miss you," one stated. Notes from children paid homage to his Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes.
Webb's death was one of four involving Regional Transportation District buses this month.
On April 3, Dustin Peletier and Carla Miranda, both 29, died after an RTD bus ran a red light near downtown Denver. The bus driver, Tidenekiyalesh Hawariyat, 30, faces 13 misdemeanor charges — two counts of careless driving resulting in death and 11 counts of careless driving resulting in injury.
Both are misdemeanors punishable by 10 days to a year in jail and a fine of $300 to $1,000, according to state law.
On April 5, 78-year-old Clinton Grider of Aurora was run over by an RTD bus as it pulled away from a stop in Aurora; charges have not been filed in that case.
Paul John Johnson, 67, of Westminster was issued a summons Tuesday by Lafayette police.
It is the second time Johnson has faced charges of careless driving behind the wheel of a bus in connection with a bicyclist.
In June 2003, a little less than a year after joining RTD, Johnson brushed a cyclist on Baseline Road in Boulder, said RTD spokesman Scott Reed.
Johnson was unaware of that until the cyclist caught up to the bus and became irate, but when Johnson offered to call in the incident, the cyclist left.
The next day, Johnson was charged with careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. The latter charge was dropped. Johnson pleaded no contest to careless driving, and no points were assessed on his driver's license, Reed said.
Public records also show that in 1994, Johnson pleaded guilty to drunken driving in Adams County. Reed said the DUI conviction was off Johnson's driving record by the time he joined RTD eight years later.
Johnson is on suspension while the transit agency conducts its own investigation.
Johnson's bus was turning left onto South Public Road at City Center Circle at 9:46 p.m. April 6 when it struck Webb, who died from his injuries the next day. Webb had recently opened Chip's Place, a breakfast spot in Lafayette about 10 blocks from the accident scene.
In the hours after he died, restaurant patrons posted farewell messages on the door of the cafe.
"Goodbye Chip, we will miss you," one stated. Notes from children paid homage to his Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes.
Webb's death was one of four involving Regional Transportation District buses this month.
On April 3, Dustin Peletier and Carla Miranda, both 29, died after an RTD bus ran a red light near downtown Denver. The bus driver, Tidenekiyalesh Hawariyat, 30, faces 13 misdemeanor charges — two counts of careless driving resulting in death and 11 counts of careless driving resulting in injury.
Both are misdemeanors punishable by 10 days to a year in jail and a fine of $300 to $1,000, according to state law.
On April 5, 78-year-old Clinton Grider of Aurora was run over by an RTD bus as it pulled away from a stop in Aurora; charges have not been filed in that case.
04-15-10, 12:29 PM
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Oh man. I can see where RTD would have hired the driver, the DUI was off the record by the time RTD hired him. However, why didn't they fire him after the first incident of careless driving? That's not right.
P.S., Robert Hurst you need to upgrade your website to something people can comment on. I really wanted to comment on the Stink Face article you wrote
P.S., Robert Hurst you need to upgrade your website to something people can comment on. I really wanted to comment on the Stink Face article you wrote
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