Another maddening fatality...

[SpokeValley]

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/robinson-600293-authorities-fatal.html

[54ny77]

That is f'ing gut wrenching. I swear to all things worth swearing on that driver should be charged with murder and tossed in jail for life. No appeal, no nothing.

I had a local friend telling me about that situation literally yesterday. Apparently it was a fireman driving on Santiago Canyon road that helped apprehend the driver. When he saw a car driving in opposite direction that had a smashed windshield, he slowed, thinking something wasn't quite right, and a few seconds later saw a cyclist on the side of road. He called the cops, identified the vehicle, and they managed to find the scumbag who hit the cyclist within minutes (it's hard to hide on that road, there's eventually only 1 way in or out).

I've ridden that road a million times. The last time (spring/summer a year or two ago) a fatal cyclist-car collision happened just hours prior where I subsequently rode past. Car pulled right in front of cyclist, t-boned the car at speed (prob. in excess of 30 or so). Blood-stained road is a horrific sight, esp. when you know what happened mere hours prior.

OC is getting just plain f'd up in every respect when it comes to cyclist safety. A friend lost his wife several months ago under same circumstance: struck and killed by a car. I don't like riding there now. It's not enjoyable anymore, too much worry about incidents that happen on almost every ride. Too many people I know directly (or indirectly) that have had bad things happen.

What an absolute tragedy. Damn. My heart goes out to that young man's friends and family.

[Louis]

For stuff like this I see cyclists as the canaries in the coal mine: we’re the most vulnerable group out on the road, and thus most likely to be affected by problems.

In our case the fundamental problem is impaired drivers, whether they be texting, drunk, on the phone or on drugs. Since we’re a just as powerless a minority as the canaries, not too many people give a d@mn about it, and I don’t expect that to change any time soon.

[dvs cycles]

More info here also.
http://bikinginla.com/2014/02/02/21-year-old-bike-rider-killed-on-santiago-canyon-road-in-orange/

[Black Dog]

For stuff like this I see cyclists as the canaries in the coal mine: we’re the most vulnerable group out on the road, and thus most likely to be affected by problems.

In our case the fundamental problem is impaired drivers, whether they be texting, drunk, on the phone or on drugs. Since we’re a just as powerless a minority as the canaries, not too many people give a d@mn about it, and I don’t expect that to change any time soon.

This is the sad reality of driving and cycling and the place they have in our society. One at the top and untouchable and one at the bottom and without rights.

[Anarchist]

Not just cyclists, take a look at the story of 3 women pedestrians killed in Florida this last weekend, because the 79 year old women driving the SUV that mowed them down thought she was in "D" not "R".

Police do not plan to lay charges.

[Bkat]

More info here also.
http://bikinginla.com/2014/02/02/21-year-old-bike-rider-killed-on-santiago-canyon-road-in-orange/

I was reading about some of the other fatal crashes on this site. Frightening. Even when the driver isn't drunk or stoned, their car "wanders" off the road and nails a cyclist. (Could a distracted driver with a cell phone be involved???) It was shocking to see a story from 2011 stating that, on average, 13 cyclists are killed each year in OC. I suspect that number hasn't gone down.

[MattTuck]

Well, that article atleast gets the agency issue correct, "when a speeding driver traveling southbound on the roadway struck him"... the vehicle didn't drift, the vehicle didn't lose control... it is the driver that does those things.

Sad.

[bobswire]

A pedestrian was killed here this week at a crossing I use frequently while on rides from my house out to the ocean. I use it because there is a safety light that flashes when you cross but I still wait to make sure I have time to cross without depending on the light before I go. It's one of the main thoroughfares going north to south in the city. http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Driver-cited-in-S-F-crash-that-killed-pedestrian-5207999.php

I'm of two hats on the subject of older seniors and driving. On one hand I'm very athletic,excellent driver ( never receiving a moving violation going on 52 years)great reflexes and balance though I'm 68 years old,on the other hand I know folks younger than I who are the opposite and scare the living daylights out of me when they get behind a wheel. I recently sent in my application to re-new my drivers license. All I had to do is state I don't have any issues that would cause me to be a liability and send it the $33 fee. At a certain age I feel they should require you to at least show you can still operate a vehicle in a safe manner. I haven't had to take a test of any kind in over 20 years.

[merlinmurph]

I recently sent in my application to re-new my drivers license. All I had to do is state I don't have any issues that would cause me to be a liability and send it the $33 fee. At a certain age I feel they should require you to at least show you can still operate a vehicle in a safe manner. I haven't had to take a test of any kind in over 20 years.

Man, in my state (MA), every once in awhile a bill to test seniors is introduced and gets shot down very quickly. Seniors vote, and death to that politician who votes for such a bill. Very tough. Every time I read/hear about a car that plows into a store/house/pedestrian/etc. for apparently no reason, I wait to hear how old the driver was, and it's almost always an elderly driver. I don't know what the answer is to this.

It's tough on family, too. We had to take the car keys from my mother years ago.

Murph
(who hits 60 in less than a month)

[biker72]

I'm of two hats on the subject of older seniors and driving. On one hand I'm very athletic,excellent driver ( never receiving a moving violation going on 52 years)great reflexes and balance though I'm 68 years old,on the other hand I know folks younger than I who are the opposite and scare the living daylights out of me when they get behind a wheel. I recently sent in my application to re-new my drivers license. All I had to do is state I don't have any issues that would cause me to be a liability and send it the $33 fee. At a certain age I feel they should require you to at least show you can still operate a vehicle in a safe manner. I haven't had to take a test of any kind in over 20 years.

Bob, I'll be 76 this year. My reflexes and eyesight are still pretty good and I've never had a ticket. Here in Texas I can renew my license online. But so can someone that can't see or hear very well. Needs to be a little more control over the older population.