The U.S. DOT/NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System now includes a code for bicyclist crash type. The map below has the 2015 fatalities that involve motorist overtaking in urban areas.
Of the 817 total fatalities:
- 380 (46.5%) occurred in daylight; the remainder occurred in darkness, dusk, or dawn (with one unknown lighting condition);
- 214 (26%) were on roadways classified as urban;
- 233 (29%) involved motorist overtaking;
- 113 (14%) were on urban roadways in daylight;
- 94 (12%) were motorist overtaking collisions on urban roads, and 44 of these occurred in daylight (5% of the total).
This last group is the ones that urban bike facilities can possibly prevent. Although these roadways are classified as urban, they are not necessarily the type that are targeted for protected bike facilities.
If you have any more information about these overtaking fatalities, particularly the ones in daylight, please add it in the comments below, including links to news stories.
Case 421,081, Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh:
“Ms. Hicks was behind a vehicle at a red light in the left turning lane of Forbes at its intersection with South Bellefield. A car in one of two through lanes attempted to cross over into the turning lane but struck a vehicle behind the cyclist. That car then struck the bicycle, pushing it into the car in front of it and knocking it over, between the two vehicles.”
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/10/23/Crash-claims-bicyclist-in-Oakland/stories/201510230283
“Homicide by vehicle and other charges were filed Friday against David Witherspoon, 49, of Beltzhoover, who police said was speeding and never hit the brakes before he rammed into a car stopped at a red light at the corner of Forbes and South Bellefield avenues about 5:30 p.m. Oct. 23.
Following the crash, the witness said, Witherspoon opened the car door and fell out onto the street. Witherspoon was taken to UPMC Presbyterian even though medics said they didn’t notice any injuries.
The medics did say, however, that Witherspoon and his car smelled of marijuana.
Investigators said they found a marijuana joint on the floor of Witherspoon’s car near the gas and brake pedals. They said they also found a package of synthetic marijuana marked “Wonderland” in the center console. Results from a urine test conducted at the hospital showed that Witherspoon had in his blood at the time of the collision “synthetic cannabinoid,” which police said may be used as an alternative to marijuana.
Witherspoon’s license had been suspended since February 2008. He currently is awaiting trial in two criminal cases and has previously been charged with felony drug crimes.”
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2016/04/22/Pittsburgh-police-to-make-arrest-in-bicycle-crash-that-killed-Susan-Hicks-in-Oakland/stories/201604220199
CONCLUSION: Drug-impaired and speeding motorist hit car that hit bicyclist stopped at red signal.
Case 120,592
Road is five-lane section (center turn lane) through a suburban context. The cyclist was hit from behind in the middle of the intersection, which is where the motorist drifted. Hit & run; driver with a BAC of 0.09.
Source: crash report
Case 122,281
Six-lane high-speed suburban arterial. Motorist was distracted by electronic device, drifted into the bike lane on a left hand curve and hit the curb before striking the cyclist. Night-time; cyclist with lights.
hi paul,
you can find out more about any AZ fatality here, some have much more info, some not much more….
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IQhPFF7DELUAXMuB6J97sRY6W1rwfo2w7xXbbXwEqqE/edit?pli=1#gid=10
(AZ) 40,225 Is more of a rural nature (check out photo of scene)….
It was a swerving thing, both motorist and cyclist took conflicting evasive action to avoid an animal ( a javalina i think)
http://azbikelaw.org/struck-by-car-near-apache-junction/
Case 330,047, Exeter, NH
“State police said a red 1997 Ford Roll off-container truck, owned by Pinard Waste Management Systems and driven by Mark Lancey, 49, of Milton, was stopped at a construction zone when a bicyclist, identified as Margaret Rugg, 64, of Exeter was traveling eastbound in the breakdown lane approaching the construction zone site.
Police said as traffic was being directed through the lane closure Rugg continued eastbound, attempting to maneuver through the lane closure. Witnesses told police she lost her balance and fell into the path of the container truck, suffering life threatening injuries. She was later pronounced dead at the scene. Lancey, the driver of the truck, was not injured in the collision.”
http://www.unionleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20150722/NEWS07/150729610/1022/newhampshi
CONCLUSION: Not motorist overtaking. Bicyclist overtaking stopped truck on the right, in the shoulder; truck started to move right and knocked her over.
Case 460,366 Brooklyn, NY
“A 57-year-old bicyclist died Monday morning after colliding with a box truck in Ditmas Park.
The man, who has not been identified pending family notification, was riding along on Church Avenue around 10:25 a.m. when he came in contact with the truck, according to police. The bicyclist and driver were apparently side-by-side going eastbound near Ocean Avenue when the bicyclist fell under the rear tires of the truck.”
http://pix11.com/2015/06/22/bicyclist-dies-after-colliding-with-box-truck-on-ditmas-park-street/
CONCLUSION: Not clear if the motorist passed the bicyclist too closely, or bicyclist moved to right of slow moving truck. Happened near intersection. In either case the bicyclist was not hit from behind, but rather was knocked over by the side of the truck, and then fell under the rear tires. This situation can often be avoided by bicyclists by staying behind trucks (and moving out of the way should one pull beside too closely).
Case 360,655 Staten Island, NY
A 2015 Toyota SUV was traveling north on Hylan Boulevard with a boat in tow when it tried to change lanes and its trailer detached. The trailer continued rolling in the right lane, striking the 22-year-old bicyclist. The boat then hit Cioffi, who was pinned under the vehicle as it stopped. The driver of the Toyota remained on the scene. It is not yet clear if the fishing boat was properly attached to the Toyota.
Police are investigating if the trailer hitch was somehow modified, and whether that cause it to become unsafe.
http://abc7ny.com/news/cyclist-pinned-killed-after-boat-breaks-free-from-truck-on-staten-island/984705/
CONCLUSION: Not motorist overtaking. Although the motorist was overtaking, this should be classified as Code 800 in PBCAT, which is used by NHTSA to code bicyclist crash types. It is called “set-in-motion situations such as; propelling an object”. From the FARS bike and ped manual:
“800 (Unusual Circumstances) is used when there were other unusual circumstances not defined by the other attributes. This would include all set-in-motion situations such as; propelling an object, animal, or parked vehicle into the bicyclist. Also includes a vehicle to vehicle collision where an intransport vehicle is re-directed into the bicyclist. Crashes involving a bicyclist and a driverless motor vehicle in-transport are included here.”
Case 340,272 Medford, NJ
“on Sunday morning at about 9am, Eileen Marmino, 34 was struck and killed by a 69-year-old woman traveling in the same direction on Church Road in Medford, NJ. Church Rd. has moderate to wide shoulders and a speed limit of 50 mph.”
http://bicyclecoalition.org/3-people-riding-bicycles-killed-by-motorists-in-separate-crashes/#sthash.l1Ji8uNy.dpbs
CONCLUSION: High-speed rural road in suburban area. No information in the various articles about why the driver might have hit the bicyclist, who was presumably in the shoulder. NOTE: check FARS for driver impairment.
Case 410,530 Botetourt, VA
“From Virginia State Police: We are seeking the public’s assistance with an ongoing investigation into a fatal crash in Botetourt County. Virginia State Police Trooper C.W. Carrico Jr., responded to the crash Friday (Oct. 16). The crash occurred at 5:10 p.m., on Route 11, less than a mile north of Stoney Battery Road just north of Troutville. A bicyclist and a tractor-trailer were both traveling south on Highway 11 when they collided in the southbound lane. The impact of the crash caused the bike to run off the right side of the highway and into the trees. The bicyclist, a 66-year-old Chinese national, died at the scene.”
https://wfirnews.com/local-news/state-police-seek-witnesses-to-troutville-crash-that-killed-chinese-bicyclist
“A truck driver who said he was blinded by the glare of a setting autumn sun when he struck and killed a bicyclist on U.S. 11 in Troutville was convicted Thursday of reckless driving.
Bradley Leonard Karnes, 28, was sentenced to 60 days in jail under a plea agreement reached in Botetourt County Circuit Court.
A driver for Lawrence Transportation, Karnes was headed south on the highway through Troutville the evening of Oct. 21, 2015, when the tractor-trailer he was driving stuck a bicycle that had strayed from the side of the road into the lane of traffic.
The impact killed Jingpu Jain, a 67-year-old Chinese man who was visiting the United States as part of a bicycling trip, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Lethia Hammond said.
Police found no evidence of speeding, intoxication or other negligence by Karnes, who was driving into a setting sun at about 6:20 p.m. A dirty windshield made visibility even worse that day, defense attorney Tony Anderson said.
Karnes told police that he thought he had struck a piece of trash in the road, and continued driving. After he arrived at Lawrence Transportation a few miles down the road, he saw damage to the front of the truck that indicated something worse.
By then, a state trooper had arrived at the trucking company, based on accounts he was given at the scene of the accident. Karnes was charged with hit-and-run, a felony that was reduced Thursday to reckless driving.
Jain, who was riding alone, was in the U.S. on a travel visa .
Earlier in the day, police saw him riding his bike on Interstate 81 and directed him onto U.S. 11. At the time of the accident, he was traveling in the same direction as southbound traffic but was several feet over the white line along the side of the road, attorneys said.
Karnes, of Salem, no longer works for Lawrence Transportation.
Under the plea agreement, he received 12 months in jail, to be suspended after he serves 60 days. He will then be placed on unsupervised probation for a year.”
http://www.roanoke.com/news/crime/botetourt_county/trucker-convicted-of-reckless-driving-for-fatally-striking-bicyclist-in/article_7507e947-ebe1-53ae-a7ac-eed7f6f86375.html
First article says that it was just at the edge of Troutville. Rt 11 at this point, per Google Streetview, has 2 lanes and no shoulder, and the posted speed limit goes from 40 to 55 mph at this point.
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.4234517,-79.8713563,3a,15y,35.97h,87.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWzUyOpKftNQ7WXlx2BCUgA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
CONCLUSION: High-speed road, not in urban area. Motorist blind by sun, but kept driving anyway. (Why does the defense attorney think that a dirty windshield reduces culpability rather than the opposite?)
Case 130,341 Columbus, GA
“The bicyclist who was struck Thursday afternoon has died, according to the Muscogee County coroner.
The victim, identified as James Wright, Jr., 51 passed away at 10:22 p.m. Thursday night after he was transported from Midtown Medical Center to Atlanta due to the severity of his injuries.
The accident occurred around 3:44 p.m. near Lawyers Lane and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. on Thursday afternoon. According to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan, the cause of death was blunt force trauma to head, legs and abdomen.
According to Bryan, the bicyclist rode out into the road and in front of the driver. The driver did not leave the scene of the accident. It is not clear whether the driver who hit Wright will face charges.”
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lawyers+Ln+%26+Brookhaven+Rd,+Columbus,+GA+31906/@32.4552077,-84.9546147,3a,75y,101.46h,71.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqDrnQG2d7C2Zt1-0Lf6aOg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x888ccd46e9811257:0xa2305a9197646c06!8m2!3d32.4551835!4d-84.9543173
CONCLUSION: Not motorist overtaking. Bicyclist rode out (from sidewalk? stop sign? driveway?) . MLK has 2 narrow lanes in each direction, plus turn, lane, no shoulders, very narrow sidewalk on one side only. Posted speed limit is 35 mph. Basically it sucks.
Case 220,486 New Iberia, LA
http://www.katc.com/story/30120464/bicyclist-killed-after-iberia-vehicle-accident
Bicyclist killed after Iberia vehicle accident
Posted: Sep 25, 2015 10:01 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 25, 2015 10:01 PM EDT
One person is dead and another is in jail after a traffic accident in Iberia Parish.
Deputies responded to a person on a bicycle being hit by a vehicle Friday afternoon around 2:10 p.m.
Investigators say the vehicle and a person on a bicycle were both headed south on Corrine Street when the vehicle struck the bicyclist in the 800 block.
The bicyclist was severely injured, and transported to a local hospital where he later died as a result of his injuries.
The driver Geraldine Jones, 48 of New Iberia, was arrested and charged with careless operation and driving with a suspended license. Deputies are advising that more charges could follow at the conclusion of the investigation.
Impairment is not suspected on either person, but toxicology samples were taken and will be tested by the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab.
Low-speed urban street – https://www.google.com/maps/place/800+S+Corinne+St,+New+Iberia,+LA+70560/@30.0050047,-91.8303828,3a,58.4y,37.87h,75.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szlXRUCgcNZwvVJd59eaI2Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x862382805ac1616b:0x4e45939a59a79150!8m2!3d30.0055813!4d-91.8299416
CONCLUSION: Need more information. Driver charged with careless operation, but no felony, at least initially. Impairment not suspected, but no test results.
Case 40,018 is here:
http://azbikelaw.org/bicyclist-killed-in-prescott-after-being-struck-by-truck/
The driver was charged and took a plea deal. There was a (marijuana) DUI involved.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-bicyclist-dies-after-hitandrun-crash-in-englewood-20150406-story.html
Case 290,057 Bridgeton, MO
Bridgeton police have arrested the driver who struck and killed a bicyclist on Jan. 16.
Duane Johnson, 44, of the 3800 block of Brittany Circle in Bridgeton, was fatally struck by a pickup on Gallatin Lane near Woodford Way Drive about 5 p.m. that Friday.
Police arrested the 42-year-old driver on Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree involuntary manslaughter. Police continue to investigate the crash and have not yet sought charges from the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney.
The Post-Dispatch is not identifying the driver because he has not been charged.
Police say the pickup and bicyclist were heading the same direction on Gallatin when Johnson was hit. The driver of the pickup remained at the crash scene while police investigated.
Second-degree involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum punishment of four years in prison.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/bridgeton-police-arrest-driver-who-struck-and-killed-bicyclist/article_9d19ff17-165b-5b56-82f2-682ed4b10094.html
A Hazelwood man who was speeding more than twice the limit when he rear-ended and killed a bicyclist has been given 120 days of “shock time” in prison.
William D. Goad, 43, of the first block of Ville Donna Court, pleaded guilty Friday of involuntary manslaughter as part of an agreement with prosecutors. Circuit Judge David Lee Vincent III sentenced Goad in the crash that killed Duane Johnson, 44, on Jan. 16, 2015, in Bridgeton.
Goad received a seven-year suspended prison sentence pending his successful completion of a 120-day prison term that includes drug and alcohol treatment.
Officials said investigators found that Goad was driving a pickup at 68 mph in a 30 mph zone as the sun was setting when he struck Johnson on Gallatin Lane.
Goad remained at the crash scene while police investigated. He had not been drinking. Goad has a burglary conviction from 1994.
Johnson lived in the 3800 block of Brittany Circle in Bridgeton. His relatives said Friday that he was a Soldan High School graduate, attended Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Mo., and served in the Army.
Relatives said Johnson had three grown sons in their 20s, was engaged to be married and was set to start a new factory job at General Motors. He was killed near the apartment complex he had moved to about a week earlier.
A sister, Marilyn Johnson, 50, of St. Louis, said her brother’s passions were riding his bicycle, photography and “taking in the scenery.” She said he was always conscious of bike safety and made sure to wear pads and a helmet while riding his bike. She said he had been hit by a car while riding his bicycle a few years ago in downtown St. Louis but was not hurt.
His death, she said, “has been so extremely devastating.”
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/hazelwood-man-gets-months-shock-time-probation-for-killing-bicyclist/article_3ed8441e-a2a9-5f14-a91f-bacaa15ef8b9.html
Sunset was at 5:05 pm on Jan 16, 2015 in Bridgeton, MO
Sun angle was lined up with Gallatin Lane from 5:02 to 5:05 pm
http://suncalc.net/#/38.7638,-90.4184,17/2015.01.16/17:08
CONCLUSION: Motorist overtaking — speeding and sun glare.
Case 400,356 Purcell, OK
Norman bicyclist killed near Purcell
By Jessica Bruha Aug 24, 2015
A Norman man was killed Saturday morning near Purcell after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle along Highway 77.
Michael Grimwood, 53, was pronounced dead at the scene from head, neck and trunk internal injuries by a Medical Examiner Investigator, according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol report released Monday.
Grimwood was struck by a 2001 Dodge Journey driven by Marie Littlefield, 29, of Paoli. The collision occurred at approximately 11:17 a.m. Saturday on Highway 77, about a half-mile south of 170th near Purcell in McClain County, the report shows.
The cause of the collision remains investigation, according to the report. As of Monday, no charges appeared to have been filed in McClain County.
Friends said Grimwood, a local painting contractor, often rode from Purcell to Pauls Valley and back because it’s a safe ride, and easy route. Grimwood was accompanied by another man who rode with him three to four times a week, said Ricky Stapleton, a close friend of Grimwood.
While Stapleton wasn’t out riding with Grimwood and the other man that day, Stapleton said he had ridden the route before. He also heard what happened the day his friend lost his life.
“They had already been down to Pauls Valley and they were on their return,” Stapleton said. “They were within three miles of Purcell, riding northbound.”
The shoulder alongside the stretch of highway is about eight feet wide. The two men were riding on the right side of the rumble strips, which are about two feet from the white lines, when Grimwood was struck by the vehicle, Stapleton said.
Grimwood was closest to the road when the collision occurred, he was told.
“The wind had just come up that morning on the east, so maybe they couldn’t have heard her (vehicle) coming up,” Stapleton said.
Another Norman cyclist riding on Highway 77 on Saturday with three other men remembers waving at two men riding that morning, who he believes were Grimwood and his friend.
“We were south of Purcell and headed to Pauls Valley,” said Dr. Scott Moses, cyclist and OU engineering professor. “We saw two cyclists who were headed north and waved at them, but we did not know who they were.”
Moses had been passed in an unsafe manner by a black SUV headed to Purcell on the Lexington Bridge earlier that morning, he said.
He and his cycling companions stopped for a break at Sonic in Pauls Valley, and on the return trip — as they neared Purcell — they saw an ambulance and police cars. The northbound lane of traffic was closed and an officer was directing them to the opposing lane.
“I didn’t want to look, but one of my companions did look and saw a broken bike and a yellow tarp in the grass,” he said.
“Mike was killed less than an hour after I had waved at him. He was just out for a ride, on a road he knew well. It was tailwind time — he was on the way home — on a mild Saturday morning in August. He has been in my thoughts for days and I pray for those who are missing him.”
The stretch of Highway 77 between Purcell and Wynnewood is popular with distance cyclists due to lower traffic and wide road shoulders. Moses said that section of OK-77 is fairly quiet and has a wide shoulder with a rumble strip.
“This is a risk we take every ride and as drivers become more and more distracted, the risks increase significantly,” local cyclist Daphne Summers said.
Summers said she never rode with Grimwood, but Norman has a strong cycling community and the loss is felt deeply.
Steve Barrett, a friend of Grimwood, described his death as a huge loss.
“He’s the most honest, giving man I’ve ever known,” Barrett said. “Michael would never let you get one up on him. He would always make sure he had done more for you than you did for him, and he didn’t do it for any other reason than it made him happy to see other people happy.”
Barrett recalled meeting Grimwood in the early ’90s always staying busy camping, hiking and cycling. Barrett, Grimwood and another friend were 120 miles in to section hiking the Ouachita Trail. The trail is a 223-mile long trail through the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma and Arkansas.
“We didn’t quite get to finish,” Barrett said.
Stapleton started riding with Grimwood in 1999 when they rode in their first “Hotter’N Hell 100” in Wichita Falls, Texas. Cyclists ride routes up to 100 miles, facing the wind and Texas heat during the weekend-long event.
“He was always one of those guys who said, ‘Hey, let’s go do this,’” Stapleton said. “He was aways instigating adventures. He really enjoyed the nature of the sport and activity.”
Stapleton said Grimwood had many good friends and was a good friend himself.
“He’d just do anything for anybody without expecting anything in return,” he said.
A memorial service for Grimwood will be 10 a.m. Friday at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 235 W. Duffy St. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to either the church, Redbud Classic, J.D. McCarty Center or the charity of your choice.
Jessica Bruha
366-3540
jbruha@normantranscript.com
http://www.normantranscript.com/news/norman-bicyclist-killed-near-purcell/article_fc8d9ce2-4a92-11e5-b4d3-2b51fa4241a7.html
Newalla man charged in 2015 negligent homicide
Jacob McGuire | CNHI News Oklahoma Jul 11, 2017
[. . . ]
Another crash that occurred about two months prior had similar elements to the wreck involving Burnett and Lehman.
Oklahoma court records show Marie Leann Littlefield, 31, of Paoli, is scheduled to complete the one-year deferred sentence in August she received for killing a Norman cyclist.
Littlefield, who was charged with misdemeanor negligent homicide with a motor vehicle after a Aug. 22, 2015, crash, pleaded guilty in August to killing Michael Wayne Grimwood while he was riding his bicycle along U.S. 77.
Grimwood, a Norman paint contractor and avid cyclist, was riding with Jerry Puckett at the time of the collision.
“My first response as a bike rider is that if we do not get stiffer punishments on distracted driving, then we will not ever stop this from happening,” Puckett told The Transcript in August. “The truth of the matter is the results of her actions caused the loss of a human life, and if the distracted part would have been impaired (alcohol or drugs), the penalty would have been much stiffer.”
Simmons said even though test results showed a person who caused a fatal crash might have had some kind of intoxicant in their system around the time of the crash, it doesn’t mean it will result in an automatic felony charge such as murder or manslaughter.
“It’s a factor, but it’s not always definitive,” he said. “Negligent homicides are always very sad cases for everyone involved.”
http://www.normantranscript.com/news/norman-bicyclist-killed-near-purcell/article_fc8d9ce2-4a92-11e5-b4d3-2b51fa4241a7.html
Ghost bike location:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.9491673,-97.3447645,3a,74y,69.05h,82.68t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1se5cHGlH76VoP6qaV3kgl4A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
CONCLUSION: Not urban. Distracted motorist hit bicyclist in the shoulder after crossing rumble strip. Posted speed limit of 65 mph (goes down to 55 mph at town line): https://www.google.com/maps/@34.9823054,-97.3661673,3a,48.8y,163.4h,79.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYwTg0BjQj2m3hI9ANPoGDA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Case 190,209 Des Moines, IA
Suspect in hit-run crash with cyclist was barred from driving
Lucas Grundmeier and Matthew Patane, lgrundme@dmreg.com Published 11:54 a.m. CT Aug. 16, 2015 | Updated 11:05 p.m. CT Aug. 16, 2015
A drunken man with a lengthy history of traffic violations and drug use struck and severely injured a cyclist on Des Moines’ west side Sunday morning, then fled the scene, police said.
The crash happened at about 10 a.m. near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Country Club Boulevard, near Temple B’Nai Jeshurun, said Des Moines police spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek.
Police said the victim is Gregary Wade Franck, 41, who was participating in the Urban Assault bike ride. He was taken to Iowa Methodist Medical Center and is listed in critical condition.
Two other bicyclists were also struck and sustained minor injuries, police said.
Jonathan Rodriguez Leyva, 31, of Urbandale was tracked down not long after the collision, and he was booked into the Polk County Jail at 3:22 p.m. Leyva was charged with second-offense operating while intoxicated, serious injury by vehicle, three counts of leaving the scene of an accident, and multiple traffic violations including driving while barred. He was being held on more than $19,000 bond.
Leyva’s criminal record includes convictions for drug offenses, assault and child endangerment.
Parizek called driving while barred the most extreme restriction police can put on a driver.
“If you’re barred, they don’t want to hear from you for a minimum of five to 10 years,” Parizek said.
Franck had been traveling west on Grand. Urban Assault’s route went through several areas of Des Moines. Josh Kravetz, the ride director, sent an email to participants about the crash.
“The information we were provided is that he was obeying traffic laws and was on the far right side of the road when he was hit from behind,” Kravetz wrote.
Franck, who goes by his middle name Wade, is a manager at Kyle’s Bikes, an Ankeny bike shop. That position made him a well-known member of the Iowa bike community, said Scott Sumpter, the founder of BikeIowa, an online resource for Iowa cyclists.
“Wade was in that. He automatically touches a ton of people,” said Sumpter, who described Franck as “down to earth” and “super kind.”
Sumpter also said Iowa cyclists will pay close attention to Franck’s condition.
“People are watching. It gets people in an uproar real fast … unfortunately, Iowa doesn’t have the best laws to put the hammer down on someone who runs over a cyclist. It’s not the same as a motorist, or even a pedestrian,” Sumpter said.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2015/08/17/hit-run-cyclist-injured/31814397/
Jury just announced verdict in fatal SUV vs. bicycle crash trial
KCCI Updated: 5:23 PM CDT May 6, 2016
DES MOINES, Iowa —
A jury just returned its verdict Friday afternoon in the trial of Jonathan Leyva Rodriguez about an hour after starting deliberations. Leyva Rodriguez was charged with vehicular homicide in a hit-and-run crash that killed bicyclist Gregary Wade Franck, 41. Two other bikers were also hurt in the crash.
Leyva Rodriguez was found guilty of homicide by vehicle and on all counts.Rodriguez was charged with six counts: Homicide by vehicle, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, leaving the scene of a personal scene accident, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and operating a motor vehicle while barred.
Sentencing has been set for June 17 at 8:30 a.m.
CLOSING ARGUMENTS:
In the rebuttal, a prosecuting attorney said the damage was not brushing up against something as he showed jury the photos of the damage to the SUV. He showed photos of the side minor that was left at the scene that clear, sunny Sunday morning.
“How could you not know, the loud bang,” said the prosecutor. “He is clearly guilty in homicide by vehicle.”
“Some of the defense’s arguments should insult your intelligence,” said the prosecutor to the jury. He knew how to get home and knew he caused damage to the SUV. He knew he hit somebody with his car.
The defense attorney told the jury that no one identified Rodriguez as the driver at the scene. That the vehicle did not belong to Rodriguez.
He said the marks on the vehicle showed damage consistent with someone brushing up against something not hitting something straight on. If he was supposedly that drunk hours after the crash timing then how could he have known he hit a person or that they were hurt.
Proceedings in the Leyva Rodriguez vehicular homicide trial resumed Friday at 1:30 p.m. The defense rested without calling any witnesses.
Prosecution Attorney Olu Salami said “Those riders, those cyclists didn’t have a chance to brace themselves for what was about to happen.”
Salami said Rodriguez made the decision to drink and drink a lot — and then get behind a motor vehicle. He said all Wade Franck wanted to do was enjoy a bike ride. He was 41 years old and will forever be 41.
There is no mistake that Rodriquez caused the death, said Salami. “He didn’t even brake,” said the prosecutor, he just went home. “It was his decision to not wait and render help.”
The closing arguments are underway right now.
THURSDAY TESTIMONY:
Polk County Medical Examiner Gregory Schmunk took the witness stand on Thursday afternoon.
He said Franck had multiple rib fractures, bleeding on the brain, a bruised lung, a breastplate fracture, and bleeding beneath the scalp.
Franck’s brain injuries and multiple pelvic fractures alone would have killed him, said Schmunk.
Franck had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the crash.
“The manner of death was homicide in this case,” said Schmunck. “It was due to the actions of another who was, according to our investigation, not operating within the law at the time.”
Following his testimony, the prosecution rested its case. The trial is scheduled to resume Friday afternoon at 1:15 p.m.
Police who investigated the crash talked Thursday morning about what they found inside the SUV involved in the crash.
One officer said they found a Corona bottle cap in the center console of the SUV.
They showed the jury photos of the scene, the SUV, and the location of the crash.
A Des Moines officer who performed field sobriety tests for Rodriguez said he had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech following the crash.
According to police, Rodriguez failed all three field sobriety tests.
Police said Rodriguez’s blood-alcohol content level was determined to be 0.192 nearly four hours after the crash. That’s nearly three times the legal limit.
The prosecution read a stipulation that Rodriguez admits he was barred from driving between March 2014-March 2016. The crash happened in 2015.
WEDNESDAY TESTIMONY:
Rodriguez’s girlfriend and mother of his two children testified. She and Rodriguez lived together in West Des Moines.
She said she could tell he was drunk when he came home around 10 a.m. that Sunday in August. When she asked him why there was damage to her SUV on the passenger side, he told her he hit a car in a parking lot.
A number of police officers from West Des Moines and Des Moines took the stand Wednesday afternoon to talk about their investigation of the crash and documented Rodriguez’s condition.
The prosecuting attorney said Franck had three loves: education, history and riding. “Riding was his passion,” said the attorney.
Witnesses said Rodriguez was driving fast and hit Franck without warning, throwing him about 30 feet.
Two other riders were also hit.
The prosecutor said that when police tracked down Rodriguez after the crash, he smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.
Rodriguez had a blood alcohol level that was three times the legal limit.
“He chose to get behind the wheel,” said the prosecutor.
Jessica Runlet, Franck’s riding partner for Urban Assault Ride on the day he died, took the witness stand on Wednesday morning. She said Franck told her, “I wore polka dots so you could see me!” She was riding behind Franck when the crash happened.
“I felt an SUV going super fast past me on Grand Avenue. It was so close to me that I felt the mirror whiz by my left elbow,” Rundlett told the court.
“By the time I thought I should yell to him, he had already been struck. The vehicle drove right off and never hit any brakes and he was flying through the air,” said Rundlett.
“It was the most terrible sound. It was so loud as the aluminum of his bicycle was mangled,” said Rundlett. “He got knocked out of his shoes and he flew through the air about 30 feet.”
Franck’s parents were holding hands and the family was in tears during the testimony Wednesday morning, KCCI’s Kim St. Onge reported.
Another cyclist who was right in front of Franck broke down in tears on the witness stand saying, “I felt this huge smack on the back of my head.”
Three of the cyclists in the pack were hit during the crash.
The cyclist describes feeling like she was in a “blither” and then saw Franck lying on the ground bleeding from the head.
A third cyclist taking the stand described hearing a witness yelling out the license plate number of the vehicle as it drove off.
The cyclist said the SUV kept veering into the lane toward cyclists and said that’s what got his attention.
“It was chaos. A number of people fell down or were hit,” said another cyclist, who also said the SUV kept going and he saw no brake lights.
At least two bicyclists testifying, including Molly Jungling, no longer ride bikes after witnessing the crash.
Jungling said, “I just remember seeing him fly in the air and I saw his body kind of twist up like a rag doll and come down.
Franck was thrown some 30 feet.
“He was laying on his side with his legs up and he was bleeding from his head when I first got to him. I realized he wasn’t well at all,” said Julee Peterson.
Jonathan Leyva Rodriguez asked for mercy and forgiveness, quietly telling a judge Friday at his sentencing that he hoped to return to his family as soon as possible.
“Accidents happen every day,” he said.
But when Leyva Rodriguez fatally crashed his car into Gregary Wade Franck on Aug. 16, 2015, as Franck rode his bicycle on Grand Avenue, it was no accident, the girlfriend and parents of the popular Des Moines cyclist said.
Leyva Rodriguez made a choice to drink and drive that day — even though the 32-year-old father of two knew he was barred from driving for a 2011 drunken driving conviction already on his record, they said.
After the Aug. 16 crash, police drew a blood sample from Levya Rodriguez and found that his blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.
“It tears at my heart when I think that the world has been robbed of Wade’s life, and we’re left with an unrepentant, irresponsible, incorrigible drunk,” the cyclist’s mother, Jan Franck, said at sentencing. She asked District Judge Paul Scott to give Levya Rodriguez the harshest prison sentence allowed by law.
“If by some fluke this man was set free today, I have no doubt he would walk down the street to the nearest bar, drink until he couldn’t stand, then try to drive home,” she said. “That’s who he is. That’s who killed Wade. Putting him in prison for a long time is the only way you can protect us from him.”
Scott did as Jan Franck requested, sentencing Leyva Rodriguez to serve a maximum of 34 years in prison after jurors in May convicted him of vehicular homicide and five other charges stemming from the collision that killed Franck, 41, and injured two other cyclists. He must serve at least 17½ years before becoming parole-eligible.
“Perhaps while he’s there, the shame of what he has done will hit him, and he will finally accept responsibility for his actions,” Franck’s girlfriend, Jessica Rundlett, said after the hearing.
Franck, a well-liked manager at Kyle’s Bike Shop in Ankeny, was riding with Rundlett in the organized Urban Assault ride when the crash unfolded at 10 a.m.
Witnesses at Levya Rodriguez’s May trial described seeing a white SUV drift from its lane and run into Franck, mangling the cyclist and his bike.
License plate numbers gathered by witnesses allowed police to track the white Chevrolet Equinox to Leyva Rodriguez’s girlfriend, Adriana Cortes. They ultimately discovered that Leyva Rodriguez was driving the SUV.
Cortes sat in the courtroom through the sentencing hearing, sometimes burying her face into her hands as Franck’s family spoke from the witness stand. Jan Franck shook as she described seeing her son’s fatal injuries when she arrived at the hospital: five broken ribs and a broken back, a crushed pelvis and swelling in his brain.
Franck sang lullabies to her son before he died two days after the collision, she said.
“I still shake whenever I grieve for him.”
Jan Franck
“I shook for the two days it took him to die,” she said. “I still shake whenever I grieve for him.”
Though he did not testify at the trial, Leyva Rodriguez admitted in an interview with Local ABC 5 after the collision that he had been drinking liquor and beer since 5 a.m. the morning of the crash.
Franck and her husband, Gregary, spoke out afterward against Iowa’s “catch and release” system of handling convicted drunken drivers. On Friday, they again pledged to push legislators to pass a law that would help law enforcement and court officials better identify potential repeat offenders and keep them off the road.
“May you never hear your children say, ‘Daddy, Daddy’ without thinking about Wade,” Gregary Franck told Leyva Rodriguez from the witness stand. “You killed him.”
In addition to the 2011 operating while intoxicated conviction, Leyva Rodriguez had been convicted of at least eight drug-related misdemeanors and traffic violations in the 16 months before the fatal crash, a review of court records showed.
In one April 2015 incident, he was already on probation for a marijuana charge when he was caught by police again with marijuana and cocaine.
The new arrest prompted his probation officer to write to a judge, saying that Leyva Rodriguez’s behavior “places in jeopardy the safety of the community.” In a brief statement to Scott on Friday, Leyva Rodriguez admitted he has dealt with addiction throughout his life.
“Please forgive me,” he said. “I’ve been praying a lot and ask for mercy and compassion.”
Both of Leyva Rodriguez’s parents spoke at the hearing through a Spanish language translator. Bernardina Rodriguez cried as she asked the judge to remember her family also before he handed down her son’s sentence. Vehicle accidents can happen, even when somebody is not intoxicated, she said.
“Sometimes when you start drinking, there is a moment when you cannot contain yourself,” she said. “… By sentencing my son, you’re not only sentencing him, but you’re sentencing all of us.”
But Scott agreed that Leyva Rodriguez made an intentional decision to drink and drive. Though Leyva Rodriguez has no previous felony conviction, the judge said in his ruling that the lengthy sentence was warranted.
“You apparently have determined that regardless of what happens, you are going to drive your vehicle,” he told Leyva Rodriguez.
“Two mothers walked into that courtroom, and we both wanted the same thing. We wanted our sons back, and today neither one of us got that.”
Outside the courtroom, Jan Franck embraced Leyva Rodriguez’s mother.
“Two mothers walked into that courtroom, and we both wanted the same thing,” she said. “We wanted our sons back, and today neither one of us got that.”
But before the hearing was over, Franck promised her son’s killer that she would see him again.
“He’s already told the media that God has forgiven him,” she said. “If that’s the truth, good for him. It’s a great place to start. But I’m a tougher sell than God. I’ll wait and see. I’ll be in my eighties when he comes up for his first parole hearing. He needs to look for a little gray-haired lady in the front row who’s still shaking, and maybe we’ll talk about forgiveness then.”
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2016/06/17/driver-sentenced-fatal-bicycle-crash/86029072/
Urban arterial with 30 mph speed limit, 2 narrow lanes in each direction. Bicyclist “was on the far right side of the road” per ride director.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Grand+Ave+%26+Country+Club+Blvd,+Des+Moines,+IA+50312/@41.5845938,-93.6850774,3a,75y,94.1h,73.84t/
data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svOsE70Sza83bPO2lb8FUUA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x87ee9ee1a66a0d8d:0x21aa01a101a48579!8m2!3d41.5844358!4d-93.6858571
CONCLUSION: Drunk motorist. Habitual drunk driver, with long record, barred from driving for 2 years, had been drinking for 5 hours before crash, many times over legal limit, speeding, hit 3 cyclist in group, fled, lied. Max sentence of 34 years.
Case # 290,311
Date: June 10, 2015
State: MISSOURI
County: ST. LOUIS (CITY)
City: ST. LOUIS
Tway Id:SR-D PAGE BLVD
Tway Id2:EUCLID AVE
Pbsex: Male
Pbage: 21
Drunk Driver (1 or higher): 0
Bicyclist dies after being struck by vehicle in St. Louis
By Joel Currier St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jun 11, 2015 (14)
ST. LOUIS • Timothy Canada, a bicyclist who was fatally injured by a car Wednesday morning in St. Louis, lost his mother in a similar accident eight months ago. She was walking in Columbia, Mo., when she was struck and killed by an out-of-control driver.
Canada, 21, of the 4600 block of Cote Brilliante Avenue, was riding his bicycle on Page Boulevard and Euclid Avenue about 7:35 a.m. Wednesday when he was hit, authorities said. He died of his injuries about 10 hours later at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Police said a woman, 31, was driving west on Page when Canada, who was heading east, “swerved into the westbound lanes” and hit the side mirror of the woman’s vehicle. Canada was thrown into the westbound lanes of Page. A second vehicle driven by a woman, 68, ran over his bicycle. Canada was not wearing a helmet. No one else was hurt.
Both drivers stayed at the crash scene, police said.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/bicyclist-dies-after-being-struck-by-vehicle-in-st-louis/article_f4493953-fe8a-5d15-a0f1-cf35534a4e7e.html
CONCLUSION: Not overtaking. Bicyclist and driver he hit were going in OPPOSITE directions. Although FARS says he was with traffic, it seems highly likely that he was going opposite traffic in a shoulder wide enough to be a bike lane, which is used as parking adjacent to residences on Page just east of Euclid, which is where the crash occurred. Bicyclist possibly swerved out of shoulder to avoid a parked car, and then clipped mirror of passing car. Street View shows that Page Blvd has two narrow (non-shareable) lanes in each direction with shoulders on each side. The only other possibility consistent with the facts is that bicyclist was riding near the center line, which seems very unlikely.
Case # 320,151
Date: August 3, 2015
State: NEVADA
County: CLARK
City:
Tway Id:LAS VEGAS BLVD
Tway Id2:
Pbsex: Male
Pbage: 37
Drunk Driver (1 or higher): 0
local cyclist Matthew Hunt, 37, who died in August while riding his bike on the Strip.
And they made sure Hunt’s death won’t be in vain: Local and state officials were on hand with details about a crackdown on drivers who violate the state’s bicyclist right-of-way law.
Police said Hunt and a second cyclist were riding south on the Strip near Spring Mountain Road about 8 a.m. on Aug. 3, when a 1998 Ford Mustang driven by 23-year-old Breanna Jimeno of Las Vegas hit Hunt from behind.
Hunt, who was wearing a helmet and following the rules of the road, suffered critical injuries. He was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where he died on Aug. 9.
Police said Jimeno stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Neither she nor the other cyclist were injured.
Metro said Jimeno was “distracted,” but the department has not elaborated on what drew her attention from the road.
Metro’s public communications division didn’t respond by press time to a request for comment on whether charges have been or will be filed, but a source close to the Hunt family said Saturday that the investigation into the accident is ongoing, and they “expect new developments soon.”
A driver who hit and killed a cyclist on the Las Vegas Strip has been sentenced to 90 days house arrest.
37-year-old Matthew Hunt died in August 2015 after he was hit in front of Treasure Island hotel-casino.
Police determined after the crash the driver, identified as Breanna Jimeno, was not impaired.
http://www.ktnv.com/news/driver-sentenced-to-house-arrest-in-2015-fatal-crash
House arrest for 90 days.
Cynthia Finnegan, who lost her son Matthew Hunt when a motorist struck him while he bicycled on the Strip in Las Vegas on Aug. 3, 2015, told me this week that was the sentence meted out to the driver, Breanna Jimeno.
Cynthia said Lindsey Moors, the vehicular crimes unit prosecutor in this vehicular manslaughter case, informed her of the sentence agreement under the plea deal this week after the driver plead guilty.
“I am just plain sad,” Cynthia said. “I asked the DA if she (the driver) seems upset about it and she said yes.”
Jimeno, 23 at the time, was driving a 1998 Ford Mustang when she clipped Matthew’s bicycle when changing lanes on the Strip near Treasure Island and Spring Mountain Road on the way to work because the motorist says he was in her blind spot, according to Moors, the prosecutor. As a result, Matthew landed on the passenger side of the front window of Jimeno’s car before landing on the pavement. Matthew was leading a bike tour with one customer at the time.
Matthew suffered critical injuries from being struck and would pass away six days later on Aug. 9, 2015. The married father of two was a bike tour leader.
Jimeno stayed on the scene and cooperated with investigators.
Moors said the driver, Jimeno, was not distracted or using a cell phone. Moors said the crash happened, according to the driver, because the motorist said she did not see Matthew when passing him because he was pedaling in her blind spot.
Moors took time today to explain this plea deal with Bicycle Stories.
She said the motorist showed no intent to strike Matthew with her car. And based on the circumstances, the criminal culpability was at the negligent level — the lowest level just below reckless. She said the police officer and another attorney in the department’s screening office also recommended a negligent crime instead of reckless.
My question is simple: How can a motorist clip a bicyclist when passing and have the bicyclist end up landing on the front window’s passenger side? It was a morning bike ride when traffic is typically light on the Strip and motorists should be able to see other users of the road such as a bicyclist.
The harshest penalty for negligent vehicular manslaughter, a misdemeanor, is six months in jail and a $1,000 fine in Clark County.
In this case, Moors said she was not confident that she could get jail time if the case went to trial before Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum because the driver did not show intent to strike Matthew.
Cynthia took this away from the explanation.
“I had said to her as long as you obey the law you can kill people people on bikes and nothing will happen to you,” Cynthia wrote to me in an email. “That is when she (the prosecutor) gave me other situations besides bicycles.”
The driver is also responsible for restitution for any expenses not covered and is due in court May 16 for the restitution.
One big takeaway: Motorists, you need to concentrate on blind spots when changing lanes. In this case, failure to see a person on a bicycle cost a man his life and took him away from his family.
Bicycle Stories also contacted Metro Police to discuss the 90-day house arrest sentence.
Matthew’s death has weighed heavily on bicyclists in Las Vegas.
A month after his death, about 500 bicyclists held a rally in Summerlin in early September 2015 to bring attention to motorists and bicyclists using the roads together.
And the response on Facebook has been one of anger and sadness.
http://alansnel.blogspot.com/2017/02/house-arrest-for-90-days-for-motorist.html
CONCLUSION: Motorist improper lane change (without looking beside). Could be considered an overtaking collision, although not a hit from behind collision.
Case # 320,060
Date: February 2, 2015
State: NEVADA
County: CLARK
City: LAS VEGAS
Tway Id:BONANZA RD
Tway Id2:
Pbsex: Male
Pbage: 50
Drunk Driver (1 or higher): 0|
Channel 13 story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wQ_d3j2Kkw
REPORTER: “that bicyclist was in the far left travel lane getting ready to turn into the storage facility up here when the car behind him was rear-ended forcing that vehicle forward and killing the bicyclist. He landed on his head, dying almost instantly.”
Police Sgt. Richard Strader: “The only thing that’s different about it is the fact that the rider, the bicycle, was out in the middle of the lane going in and out of the travel lane.
6-lane arterial with posted speed limit of 35 mph (but 45 mph east of Nellis, close to this location).
REPORTER: “Police say the cyclist was not wearing a helmet and had he been he may have survived. They also say he shouldn’t have been traveling in that middle lane, he should have been over to the right. Witnesses reported him swerving in and out of the lane as he checked behind him for traffic leading up to that crash.
Police Sgt. Richard Strader: “That’s just people paying attention to what’s in front of them when they’re rolling down the roadway.”
Conclusion: Motorist overtaking, crash caused by inattentive motorist hitting another car. Bicyclist was in left lane, preparing a left turn. First motorist slowed or stopped, was rear-ended by second motorist, pushing first car into bicyclist. Apparently striking motorist was not cited, but obviously should have been, as well as charged with negligent homicide. Police blame victim, based on unwarranted assumption that he should not have been in position to make a left turn. From the witness statements cited in the report it sounds like the bicyclist might have been traveling in the center flush median, but if so it is not clear why he would have moved to the travel lane if he was planning to turn left, unless he was trying to get into crosswalk ahead (for Las Vegas Wash trail). Still, striking vehicle either was following too closely or was not paying attention to the car slowing ahead.
Case # 61,159
Date: May 11, 2015
State: CALIFORNIA
County: ALAMEDA
City: FREMONT
Tway Id:FREMONT BL
Tway Id2:
Pbsex: Female
Pbage: 57
Drunk Driver (1 or higher): 0
Bicyclist hit, killed by truck in Fremont
By Henry K. Lee Updated 1:16 pm, Monday, May 11, 2015
A woman riding a bicycle was killed Monday in a crash with a construction truck in Fremont, police said.
The victim, whose name was not immediately released, was riding a bike south in the bike lane on Fremont Boulevard over the Interstate 880 overpass about 8:30 a.m. when a truck began to pass her in the same direction, said Geneva Bosques, a Fremont police spokeswoman.
The woman apparently got scared, began wobbling on her bike and hit the curb before she fell into the path of the truck and was struck by one of the rear tires, Bosques said. The woman died at the scene. The driver of the truck, which was hauling dirt, remained at the scene and cooperated with police.
Bicyclist hit and killed by truck in Fremont IDd
By Henry K. Lee Updated 4:57 pm, Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Authorities on Tuesday identified the woman who died after she was struck and killed by a construction truck while riding her bicycle in Fremont.
Deborah Pletzer, 47, of Fremont was riding a bike south in the bike lane on Fremont Boulevard over the Interstate 880 overpass about 8:30 a.m. Monday when a truck began to pass her in the same direction, said Geneva Bosques, a Fremont police spokeswoman.
Pletzer apparently lost control, began wobbling on her bike and hit the curb before she fell into the path of the truck and was struck by one of the rear tires, police said. She died at the scene. The driver of the truck, which was hauling construction debris, remained at the site and cooperated with police.
———-
FREMONT — A construction truck fatally hit a female bicyclist Monday morning on an Interstate 880 overpass, police said.
The fatal collision took place about 8:30 a.m. along the southbound lanes of Fremont Boulevard just north of Cushing Parkway, said police spokeswoman Geneva Bosques.
Police believe the cyclist and the driver of a truck hauling dirt were both traveling south on Fremont Boulevard when the impact took place.The bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, and her identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin.The driver of the construction truck remained on scene and was cooperating with police, Bosques said.
The Sky7 and NBC News photos show a yellow covering, presumably over the body, south of the traffic signal, in the area where the bike lane becomes a narrow shoulder to the right of a right-only lane. (FARS coordinates point to the middle of the I-880 / Fremont Blvd intersection, which is obviously not the actual crash location.)
35 mph posted speed limit right near crash location.
CONCLUSION: Truck overtaking, bicyclist fell beside it. No indication that truck hit bicyclist first based on police accounts, although possibly wind effects caused her to lose control, especially if truck was passing closely. Truck driver might have been merging right to turn right, squeezing into the bicyclist, causing her to panic even if she was not hit. Motorist should have been cited for unsafe passing. This is an extremely difficult location for bicyclists, given that they need to merge from bike lane to controlling a lane in a short distance, with fast traffic, while still climbing the overpass.
Case # 62,219
Date: October 13, 2015
State: CALIFORNIA
County: ORANGE
City: HUNTINGTON BEACH
Tway Id:WARNER AVE
Tway Id2:
Pbsex: Male
Pbage: 29
Drunk Driver (1 or higher): 0
Huntington Beach bike rider has died following last week’s bike lane collision
October 19, 2015 / bikinginla / 3 comments
Sometimes, our worst fears are realized. That was the case last week, as the Orange County Register made a brief mention of a bicyclist who critically injured when he was struck from behind while riding in a Huntington Beach bike lane.Sadly, they announced today that he did not survive his injuries.
The 29-year old victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding east on Warner Avenue at Springdale Street at 5:27 pm Tuesday when a driver veered into the bike lane and struck him from behind.He was taken to UCI Medical Center, where he died on Saturday, four days after he was injured.
The driver remained at the scene, and police do not suspect drugs or alcohol use. No word on why he moved into the bike lane where the victim was riding; however, since the wreck occurred at or near the intersection, he may have been making a right turn.
A street view shows a typical six lane Orange County street with a center turn lane, and wide lanes built for excessive speed.
http://bikinginla.com/2015/10/19/huntington-beach-bike-rider-has-died-following-last-weeks-bike-lane-collision/
Valente Vasquez was the victim:
https://www.gofundme.com/8q6k2sek
There is no further information such as a statement from the driver or any witness. There is a gas station on this corner, so it is possible that the motorist was starting to turn into the gas station driveway.
Posted speed limit of 45 mph (sign at Warner west of Bolsa Chica).
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7153316,-118.0247633,3a,60y,124.31h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZoGNN5iWfpa5lzzoGzWQPw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
CONCLUSION: Unclear if motorist overtaking or turning-related.
Case # 61,237
Date: July 22, 2015
State: CALIFORNIA
County: SAN DIEGO
City: CARLSBAD
Tway Id:COLLEGE BL
Tway Id2:
Pbsex: Male
Pbage: 46
Drunk Driver (1 or higher): 0
A cyclist was killed after a collision with a minivan Wednesday night in Carlsbad, police say.
Officers responded to the fatal crash just after 6:30 p.m. at Palomar Airport Road and College Boulevard.
Eric Steven Glasnapp, 46, of Carlsbad died when his bicycle and a minivan collided. Both were traveling northbound on College when Glasnapp was struck from behind, officials said.
The county medical examiner’s office said it appears Glasnapp was in the bicycle lane and was struck from behind.
The driver of the minivan stayed at the scene. Officials say it does not appear that drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.
Northbound College Boulevard was closed for several hours between Palomar Airport Road and Aston Avenue while police investigated.
A fault has not been determined, police said.
Anyone with information about this collision can call the Carlsbad Police Department at (760) 931-2197.
Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Carlsbad-Crash-Kills-Man–318236561.html#ixzz4oHjECaFJ
http://fox5sandiego.com/2015/07/22/pedestrian-hit-killed-in-carlsbad/
CONCLUSION: Motorist overtaking, high-speed road. Motorist failed to stay in lane, hit bicyclist in bike lane. Posted speed limit of 50 mph, curves.
Case # 122,766
Date: May 19, 2015
State: FLORIDA
County: VOLUSIA
City: DAYTONA BEACH
Tway Id:US-92
Tway Id2:
Pbsex: Male
Pbage: 57
Drunk Driver (1 or higher): 0
No information.
Case # 120,492
Date: March 28, 2015
State: FLORIDA
County: HIGHLANDS
City:
Tway Id:W AVON BLVD
Tway Id2:
Pbsex: Female
Pbage: 55
Drunk Driver (1 or higher): 0
Updated: 04/01/2015 03:56:56PM
Cyclist killed by car
By PHIL ATTINGER
Staff Writer
AVON PARK — Lucy Medueno, 55, of Avon Park died Saturday after her three-wheel bike was hit from behind on Avon Boulevard by a minivan. The van’s driver — Jimmie L. Armstrong, 75, of Avon Park — was cited by the Florida Highway Patrol for careless driving.
Medueno was not wearing a helmet, the FHP said.
http://yoursun.com/sunnews/sebring/8933538-699/story.html.csp
West Avon Blvd is 1 narrow lane in each direction, no shoulder, posted speed limit of 30 mph.
Mostly residential, but with some more rural sections with no intersections that could encourage speeding.
CONCLUSION: Motorist overtaking, suburban residential. Older motorist cited for careless driving, but no info about whether he was distracted or speeding or both.
Case # 120,493
Date: March 31, 2015
State: FLORIDA
County: CITRUS
City:
Tway Id:CR-494
Tway Id2:S POINSETTIA TERR
Pbsex: Male
Pbage: 75
Drunk Driver (1 or higher): 0
Last Updated: Monday, April 06, 2015
CRYSTAL RIVER —
A bicyclist died last Thursday, two days after he was hit by a car while riding in Citrus County.
Patrick A. Condray, 75, of Crystal River, was riding his bicycle east along the southern edge of the Ozello Trail on the morning of March 31.
At the same time, investigators said Pok Sun Morgan, 73, of Homosassa, was driving a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox east on the Ozello Trail.
Troopers said Morgan failed to see Condray and the right front corner of her car sideswiped Condray, throwing him onto the road.
Condray was taken to Bayonet Point, where he died from his injures two days later.
http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2015/4/6/citrus_bicyclist_die.html
Cyclist succumbs to injuries
A Crystal River bicyclist who was critically injured in a Monday morning crash near Crystal River died from his injuries on Thursday in a hospital.
At about 9 a.m. on Monday, Patrick Albert Condray, 75, was cycling east with the flow of traffic on West Ozello Trail on the road’s edge, according to a Florida Highway Patrol accident report.
Pok Sun Morgan, 73, of Homosassa, was also driving her 2010 Chevrolet Equinox east on a curve near South Poinsettia Terrace.
As she was taking the curve, Morgan reportedly didn’t see Condray and collided with his bicycle, ejecting him, the report stated.
Condray, who was not wearing a helmet, was airlifted to Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, where he later died.
https://www.facebook.com/citruscountychronicle/posts/954523441246337
W. Ozello Trail (CR-494) has 1 narrow lane in each direction, posted speed limit of 35 mph. Share the road signs were visible in 2011 street view. Curve east of S. Poinsettia bends right (heading eastbound, as they were).
CONCLUSION: Motorist overtaking, view obstructed by curve, 35 mph speed limit. Speed limit is 45 mph 3/4 mi west of crash location. Semi-rural, suburban area. Because it was a sideswipe, maybe there was oncoming traffic so motorist could not move over sufficiently.
Case # 40,018
Date: January 16, 2015
State: ARIZONA
County: YAVAPAI
City: PRESCOTT
Tway Id:SR-89
Tway Id2:
Pbsex: Female
Pbage: 23
Drunk Driver (1 or higher): 0
https://azbikelaw.org/bicyclist-killed-in-prescott-after-being-struck-by-truck/
Az-89 has posted speed limit of 30 mph, but has center turn lane and is wide and looks like traffic moves faster than 30 mph.
CONCLUSION: Motorist overtaking, driver arrested for DUI (after 10 month delay), tested positive for marijuana. sentenced to 3 years.
Case # 40,225
Date: April 10, 2015
State: ARIZONA
County: PINAL
City: APACHE JUNCTION
Tway Id:CR-MCKELLIPS BLVD
Tway Id2:
Pbsex: Male
Pbage: 51
Drunk Driver (1 or higher): 0
https://azbikelaw.org/struck-by-car-near-apache-junction/
45 mph posted speed limit
1 narrow lane in each direction, dirt shoulder
low-density residential suburban on one side, desert on the other side
CONCLUSION: Motorist overtaking. 45 mph speed limit, rural/suburban. Bicyclist swerved left, motorist swerved right to avoid an animal running across the road.