Wow, this one sure sucks..
 

http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florid...illed-in-crash


GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) - A Panhandle man on a cross-country bike ride to raise awareness and funds for victims of this year's massive Gulf oil spill has been struck and killed by a passing vehicle.

Roger Grooters began his ride across America Sept. 10 in Oceanside, Calif. The 66-year-old man's family tells the Pensacola News Journal that he was just days from finishing his 3,200-mile journey when he was hit by a truck outside of Panama City on Wednesday morning.

Funeral services are planned for Monday in Gulf Breeze near Pensacola Beach.

There is a thread for this in A&S as well. Very sad.

Tragic. Stories like this make me nervous, and I shudder when a vehicle roars by particularly close.
I picture getting a truck rear view mirror in the head. But I won't stop touring.

Very sad but this is the way I want to go out. It's a lot better them dying in a hospice somewhere. At the same time tragic he was only 66, I'd bet he had several more years of riding to do.

Spinnaker +1

RIP

Agree with the sentiment, I'd rather go "with my boots on". On the other hand, I'd rather it not be before it's "time". Some sobering statistics.
http://bicycleuniverse.info/transpo/almanac-safety.html
http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/health/risks.htm

Figure anything on 2 wheels is 3 to 10x more risky than a car just because you don't have a cage of steel around you and people aren't looking out for you. Let's be careful out there folks!

I got hit with a sideview mirror in the shoulder about 20 years ago. Scuffed up bike, scuffed up back and arms, and a broken leg. I consider myself lucky. Now days, I'm a lot less reluctant to ride on a two lane road with high speed traffic unless the traffic is very light. Even so, I have recently seen more than one instance where a car pulled so far to the left that they risked a head on collision. When there are cars backed up behind a car that does this, it just gets uglier all around. Anyway, I have change my routes to avoid such roads b/c I just don't like taking those risks anymore. Sorry about the rant. Prayers and thoughts to the people affected by this tragedy.

This man died doing what I'm sure he loved and for a good cause. For him, it was not a bad way to exit, tho a bit early. For his family, with no time to get prepared, not so good. And for the driver of the truck, something that will haunt him the rest of his life no doubt.

I owe it to myself, my family, fellow cyclist, and motorist to wear a helmet, be highly visible, obey all traffic laws, be aware, and exercise common sense. To not create a situation that will endanger myself or the driving public. Then, if I get run over, well, it was just my time.

Yes, it definitely does suck. My folks lived in Pensacola and over in Fairhope, Alabama for a few years. In the five years they lived there, there were more than a few cycling fatalities, including a husband and wife who died in two separate accidents a year apart. I know it's anecdotal evidence but I think this area has an abnormally high fatality rate for a few reasons:

- Many county roads in the panhandle and southern Alabama have narrow shoulders and there is usually a deep drainage ditch beside the road. If you get run off the road, there's a big drop plus a good chance nobody will find you for a while if you are injured. Some ditches are swamps with gators (although I have never actually heard of a cyclist getting munched by a gator).

- Fast pickups with rebel flags on the rear glass and empty beer cans in the bed.

- Sun squint factor and quite a few dry, dusty roads.

I hope if I ever get hit by a careless motorist, that I go through the windshield and take out the driver like a deer.

Do we know the circumstances surrounding the accident? When I learned that an old friend had been struck by a truck and killed my second reaction was "Damn careless drivers!" Then I learned the accident was %100 her fault.