Not to be a bummer here - but more tragic news from washingtonpost.com:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...100200390.html


Cyclist Fatally Struck By Off-Duty Officer's SUV

By Daniela Deane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 2, 2006; 10:20 AM

A bicyclist was killed in pre-dawn darkness Monday morning after being struck by an SUV driven by an off-duty police officer, according to the Fairfax County police.

The fatal accident occurred on westbound Arlington Boulevard at the intersection of Annandale Road at around 5:15 a.m., said Fairfax County police spokeswoman Mary Mulrenan.

After being struck by the Toyota SUV, the cyclist was transported to Fairfax Inova Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, Mulrenan said. The names of the cyclist or the driver were not immediately released

That really sucks. I am getting so tired of seeing brothers and sisters killed by cars.

This is in my neighborhood, and a bunch of us have been wondering 1) Who rides on Arlington Blvd at 5am? It's not the best, or safest, stretch of road to ride on; 2) Did he have a light? There aren't bike lanes on Arlington Blvd (aka route 50), hardly any street lights, and a super narrow shoulder.

Regardless, the incident is tragic and has given us all pause.

+1. I've driven on that road and don't know that I'd ever ride on it, at least if it's what I'm thinking of... Still terrible, though.

It's the road that heads out from Arlington, past Seven Corners where the Home Depot is (and one of the sniper shootings was).

wow, that's too many.. one is too many, not sure how many more I want to hear about

Probably one of the 'invisible bikers'. I mean the guys that shuffle to and fro on MTBs. Article doesn't metion if speed was a factor. Definitely a bad road to ride on esp. at night.

Has anyone ever done any analysis of bike fatalities and determined the most dangerous times to ride? Early pre-dawn rides and evening rush hour seem the most dangerous from purely anecodotal evidence.

I love to ride early morning, but not before the sun comes up. I was up early last week and went for a run when it was still dark. Saw other runners of course, but was surprised to see a cyclist go the other way. This guy had a light on his bike and helmet, jersey, lycra, etc. IOW, not a "I lost my license from DWI and I use this $100 MTB for transportation" type, but a real road bike cyclist (he may have been commuting, but it looked like a fitness/training ride).

Cycling in the DC area is both great and terrible. The Mount Vernon trail, the W&OD, etc, are all great. But riding on a lot of regular roads sucks - the traffic is too aggressive and heavy. Let's all be careful out there. And although I plan on riding again when my leg heals - I'll be one of those guys wearing a ton of lights and reflective stuff. Sigh.
RIP fellow rider.

An important point to note in the article:

"The bicyclist was on the median attempting to cross the westbound lanes of Arlington Boulevard when for unknown reasons he entered the vehicle's pathway and was struck,"

Although it was most certainly a very tragic death, as they all are, it would appear the cyclist may have had a significant role in the crash.

IMO we very much control our own safety by the routes we choose, lighting and weather conditions we choose to ride in and adherence to traffic laws.
Granted, the big metal beasties and their oblivious controllers are the definitive cause of our injuries, that's a fact.

My bottom lineis that I know I'll loose in a crash so I figure the best way for me to stay safe is by not getting into hazardous situations in the first place.

I live 10 houses off of Arlington Blvd, about a mile and a half from there. We were woken up by the heilcopters this morning.

I bike across route 50 all the time, but I seldom bike along it, much less on it. Usually stay on the W&OD or local streets. I drive route 50 every day and sometimes see bikes on B'way to Fairfax stretch, trying to deal with the freeway interchange and disappearing shoulders. Personally, I'll take Lee Highway over Arlington Blvd any day.