Cyclist killed by texting driver in Oregon yesterday

[Dead Man]

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Hit-and-run-driver-detained-bicyclist-killed-on-Highway-30-west-of-Rainier-273336531.html

"Dirty 30" highway, OR30, just west of Rainier at milepost 50.

34 year old Kristopher Lee Woodruff was texting whilst driving his pickup and struck and killed 74 year old cyclist Peter Michael Linden on the side of the road.

Woodruff immediately fled the scene, but was nabbed by state troopers just 5 miles down the road. He's been booked on Manslaughter in the First Degree, Felonious Hit-and-Run, and an additional unrelated charge for a bench-warrant in a different county. What are the odds Mr. Woodruff has insurance?

I was riding 30 yesterday... using it as a linkup between some local hill climbs. It's the main artery of Columbia county, and links all of our rural, small towns together. I don't often ride the section where this happened, but have. It's actually the only "fun" section of highway 30 to ride, with the rest of the highway being relatively flat, straight, noisy, and extremely uninteresting. Most of the highway has a wide, fairly clean 10' shoulder, but it does narrow in places out west, where this happened. Overall, I feel pretty safe in general on 30 (relative to city riding, down in Portland), but the riding can be in very close proximity to 50-70mph cars, sometimes at arms length. All it takes is one guy looking down at his phone for 2 seconds, and you're toast.

RIP, Peter Linden.

[buddybikes]

Verizon is evil - they don't give a rat a** how many people die. Here in MA - they are funding both Dem's and Republicans for Governer.

[Bruce K]

I don't get the connection (no pun intended).

Why is this Verizon's fault? How about personal responsibility and showing some restraint by focusing on the task at hand (driving)?

BK

[Dead Man]

Yea, I can't jump on board with this trend of laying blame on the cell carriers. I can't see what they could possibly do, and even if they could, I can't see why they should do anything. They provide a service.... what their customers do with the service isn't their problem.

[buddybikes]

technology could easily be added to phones to prevent them from "beeping" text alerts when moving (they have a gps in them). that alone would probably save 1000's of lives.

we have massive safety standards for cars. this is no different.

[Dead Man]

technology could easily be added to phones to prevent them from "beeping" text alerts when moving (they have a gps in them). that alone would probably save 1000's of lives.

we have massive safety standards for cars. this is no different.

"Driver, will you please pull over? I need to send a text message."

:rolleyes:

[William]

That sucks! I hope they stick the driver, but I'm not confident that will happen

Hwy 30 is a dangerous road to ride. As I remember it, it may have a wide shoulder on many sections, but cars are going way to fast. There were numerous times I've ridden sections of it, but I tried to limit it to dropping down Newberry to get to Sauvie Island and back.

Riding your bike on 30 is not illegal, and if motorists paid attention and travelled the speed limit it would be safer, but accidents can happen....though this was no accident for sure.






William

[Peter P.]

The cell carriers are complicit in that they lobby all the legislators whenever restrictive cellphone use laws come up for discussion or vote.

Restricting cellphone use reduces their revenue.

They aren't the sole contributor to the problem but certainly part of it.

[gasman]

Man is that sad to hear.

[Dead Man]

I really want to know if Linden had a super blinky going.

Blasting my super blinky is the only thing that gives me any comfort, when I'm riding feet away from 60mph traffic around here.

(No fault to the man if he wasn't, I'm just curious)

[Dead Man]

That sucks! I hope they stick the driver, but I'm not confident that will happen

Hwy 30 is a dangerous road to ride. As I remember it, it may have a wide shoulder on many sections, but cars are going way to fast. There were numerous times I've ridden sections of it, but I tried to limit it to dropping down Newberry to get to Sauvie Island and back.

Riding your bike on 30 is not illegal, and if motorists paid attention and travelled the speed limit it would be safer, but accidents can happen....though this was no accident for sure.






William

It seems insane, but I also find I have to take-the-lane on 30 fairly often - usually it's for the State Troopers having pulled someone over, and it's NBD because traffic is relegated to the other lane anyway... but high up on the map where we are (Saint Helens/Columbia City/Rainier), broken down cars and trucks often force you into the lane also.

Passing all the cars parked at the titty bar at Corn Pass usually requires taking-the-lane for about 300m, also, during happy hour. (shudder)

[William]

It seems insane, but I also find I have to take-the-lane on 30 fairly often - usually it's for the State Troopers having pulled someone over, and it's NBD because traffic is relegated to the other lane anyway... but high up on the map where we are (Saint Helens/Columbia City/Rainier), broken down cars and trucks often force you into the lane also.

Passing all the cars parked at the titty bar at Corn Pass usually requires taking-the-lane for about 300m, also, during happy hour. (shudder)


It's been a few years but that pretty much how I remember it.



William

PS: Girls and Steaks (or was it Steaks and Girls)? Maybe that was outside Rainier?

[BMS]

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Hit-and-run-driver-detained-bicyclist-killed-on-Highway-30-west-of-Rainier-273336531.html

"Dirty 30" highway, OR30, just west of Rainier at milepost 50.

34 year old Kristopher Lee Woodruff was texting whilst driving his pickup and struck and killed 74 year old cyclist Peter Michael Linden on the side of the road.

Woodruff immediately fled the scene, but was nabbed by state troopers just 5 miles down the road. He's been booked on Manslaughter in the First Degree, Felonious Hit-and-Run, and an additional unrelated charge for a bench-warrant in a different county. What are the odds Mr. Woodruff has insurance?

I was riding 30 yesterday... using it as a linkup between some local hill climbs. It's the main artery of Columbia county, and links all of our rural, small towns together. I don't often ride the section where this happened, but have. It's actually the only "fun" section of highway 30 to ride, with the rest of the highway being relatively flat, straight, noisy, and extremely uninteresting. Most of the highway has a wide, fairly clean 10' shoulder, but it does narrow in places out west, where this happened. Overall, I feel pretty safe in general on 30 (relative to city riding, down in Portland), but the riding can be in very close proximity to 50-70mph cars, sometimes at arms length. All it takes is one guy looking down at his phone for 2 seconds, and you're toast.

RIP, Peter Linden.

Terrible... The more I hear about these incidents, the more I tend to ride my mountain bike. It's a shame because I love riding the road.

[F150]

This stuff is tragic; wish there was a way to get people to focus on driving and nothing else when behind the wheel.

I actually observed a woman, on the side of the interstate, sitting in the driver's seat pecking away at her cell phone on I-65 just south of Nashville last week. WHILE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF HER DISABLED/PARKED CAR FULLY INVOLVED AND BELCHING FLAMES! Two foot high flames shooting out from under the hood and she's oblivious...

If that's not distracted, I don't know what is.

[buddybikes]

She'll probably get mad that the internet isn't available from her car touchscreen.

http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=7491-en

[Hepmike]

Riding up 30 is no joke...but a necessary evil (artery). Even with a wide (8'?) shoulder for the majority I'm often jumping/cringing at the sound of loud monster cargo trucks passing me by.

I often feel like there is some degree of personal consent that what will be will be, when I'm riding along out here, although I shouldn't have to feel like that...

[Dead Man]

Riding up 30 is no joke...but a necessary evil (artery). Even with a wide (8'?) shoulder for the majority I'm often jumping/cringing at the sound of loud monster cargo trucks passing me by.

I often feel like there is some degree of personal consent that what will be will be, when I'm riding along out here, although I shouldn't have to feel like that...

Indeed- I know exactly the feeling you speak of. Enough to make a man religious.

God.... if it's my day, just please make it quick.

[krhea]

Terrible, senseless accident. Hopefully we'll have something to control texting while driving soon. The story is heartbreaking. I'm hopeful we'll see a "ghost bike" out at that location.

As to hwy 30, I guess it's all about what you're comfort level is with traffic. We/I ride "Dirty 30" at least twice per week and sometimes 3 times and have for 15+ years, no big deal. I ride it solo as well as in groups of 10-15, no big deal, never had a problem. You just go single file where it narrows and it's cool. Sometimes it literally is dirty, especially in the winter when it has a layer of the wonderful Oregon winter gravel across it but not a whole lot worse then a number of other roads in the area AND it's to be expected. It's a freakin' busy highway and it still has one of the widest bike lanes of any highway in the area.
We ride it out to St Helens on a regular basis to access the climbs to the west as well as the incredible gravel roads past St Helen's including Pittsburgh Rd. It also allows access to both the CZ Trail, from Scappoose to Vernonia as well as the Scappoose dike roads.
Much past St Helen's and the road can get narrow and for sure scary in some parts but from PDX to St Helen's it's plenty wide, safe to ride and unless you just don't like cars/trucks and the noise it's no problem. I don't ever remember a close call on Hwy 30 nor do I remember hearing any of my friends mention them. I'd guess one time I've dealt with a Hwy Patrol "pull over" situation where I had to ride around and into the lane. If I had to stop for a second to be safe before riding around him it's really no big deal.

What's more surprising to me about Hwy 30 is how few "incidents" occur during Seattle to Portland weekend with 1000s of riders using 30 from the Longview Bridge back to St Helens and on to Portland. I'm always worried about tired riders swerving out into the lane of 65mph vehicles.

[Louis]

What in the world is so important that you can't pull off to the side and text, or wait and do it when you get to your destination?

You can be sure that if drivers felt they were at high risk due to texting they wouldn't do it. I wonder how often stupid drivers kill or maim only themselves by doing this?

[krhea]

what in the world is so important that you can't pull off to the side and text, or wait and do it when you get to your destination?

You can be sure that if drivers felt they were at high risk due to texting they wouldn't do it. I wonder how often stupid drivers kill or maim only themselves by doing this?

+1

[Dead Man]

What's more surprising to me about Hwy 30 is how few "incidents" occur during Seattle to Portland weekend with 1000s of riders using 30 from the Longview Bridge back to St Helens and on to Portland. I'm always worried about tired riders swerving out into the lane of 65mph vehicles.

Well if you talk to people who live in Saint Helens and the other towns on the STP route, they'll tell you that race is the most dangerous thing since the Soviet Union. "Risking the lives of me and my family!" a lady said to me right before the last STP. All I had was an eyeroll for her. You just can't fix that.

Like I said, I feel pretty good most of the time on 30, south (east) of Saint Helens. But up past Saint Helens there are some pretty scary spots. The bridges between Columbia City and Trojan are absolute death traps when the road is sanded- 1' shoulder on a bicycle-blind curve, with bursts of traffic doing 65 and not expecting cyclists to be on the road at all, let alone right on the fog line. Throw in unmarked, intermittent rumble strips, and it can be pretty unpleasant riding for 6+ months out of the year.


Speaking of Dirty Thirty.... a buddy and I started a cycling club called exactly that..... The Dirty Thirty - "The dirtiest 30 on two wheels" Look for it on Strava! New hwy 30 riding members welcome ;)

[Dead Man]

Frome Saint Helens Police Department's facebook update:

"Peter Linden was the City Attorney for the City of St. Helens before he retired a number of years ago. Those of us who had an opportunity to work with Peter will remember him as a kind man, and a true gentleman. That he was fighting cancer and dealing with chemotherapy, while still riding his bicycle 150 miles each week, shows the fighting spirit and bravery that is rare in men half his age. He will be missed."

[gone]

You can be sure that if drivers felt they were at high risk due to texting they wouldn't do it. I wonder how often stupid drivers kill or maim only themselves by doing this?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/01/woman-texting-impaled-buttocks/14918723/

[don compton]

Yea, I can't jump on board with this trend of laying blame on the cell carriers. I can't see what they could possibly do, and even if they could, I can't see why they should do anything. They provide a service.... what their customers do with the service isn't their problem.
They can quit lobbying against tough anti texting and cellphone use in cars while driving. DUH Profits before lives

[Wilkinson4]

Damn that is just east of me. How many of us have maybe just looked down at their phone for the time, a quick glance, etc… I do. I need stop that...

Good thing it wasn't the sax that pierced her. That coulda been a million dollar wound. Fussilli!

mIKE

[GeorgeTSquirrel]

I was hit by a texting driver... fortunately I was in the steel cage when it happened. As far as I'm concerned, it's a technological step back. Sad, especially in that it was so easily preventable.

[kevinvc]

I read about this yesterday. As a frequent rider of Hwy 30, I'm actually planning on going there later today, the story got my interest. I'm with the others that I generally consider it a pretty safe place to ride and am more concerned about debris than passing cars.

The driver is being held on charges of manslaughter and felony hit-and-run, which actually surprises me. In the majority of these collisions it seems that the "I just didn't see him" defense seems to result in little more than a traffic citation. It might make a difference that there seems to be a warrant out for him on something unrelated and the driver didn't have a valid license.

R.I.P. Mr. Linden

[christian]

The key to killing a cyclist without repercussion is to stay there and say you're really sorry but you just didn't see him.

[kevinvc]

The key to killing a cyclist without repercussion is to stay there and say you're really sorry but you just didn't see him.

Disgusting, sad, but true. This seems to be an acceptable excuse by law enforcement all over the country, even when the cyclist is in the bike lane or other circumstances where the driver is 100% at fault.

[krhea]

Like I said, I feel pretty good most of the time on 30, south (east) of Saint Helens. But up past Saint Helens there are some pretty scary spots. The bridges between Columbia City and Trojan are absolute death traps when the road is sanded- 1' shoulder on a bicycle-blind curve, with bursts of traffic doing 65 and not expecting cyclists to be on the road at all, let alone right on the fog line. Throw in unmarked, intermittent rumble strips, and it can be pretty unpleasant riding for 6+ months out of the year.


Avoid that section altogether. Here's one of our favorite rides that keeps us/you from riding past St Helen's...it does involve climbing but pays off with a great downhill and a very fast run back to Dirty 30:

Before you get into St Helen's take a right on Old Portland Rd then down to a left on Millard Rd which becomes McNulty Way. McNulty Way T's into Gable Rd, turn left. Follow Gable, which will become Bachelor Flat Rd, to Summit View Dr, turn right. At the next stop sign turn left on Sykes Rd. Begin climbing and follow Sykes to Brooks which will become Boozer/Brooks rd. Continue climbing to the intersection with Cater Rd and turn right. Massively fast downhill that ends into Scappoose-Vernonia Rd. Turn left and fly back down on Scappoose-Vernonia Rd until it hits Dirty 30. Turn right and head back to Portland on Dirty 30. OR, continue through the intersection and across Hwy 30 and up to W. Lane Rd. Turn left and continue with the airport on your right. Take a slight right at N. Honeyman Rd and ride the most beautiful, quiet, flat loop around the Scappoose Dike Rd which will bring you out on the other side of Scappoose towards Portland avoiding Dirty 30 through Scappoose.

[saab2000]

That sucks! I hope they stick the driver, but I'm not confident that will happen





William

Hitting a cyclist is not such a big deal to law enforcement but Hit-and-run is a pretty big deal.

Had he stopped and dealt with the situation he'd probably get off way easier. I'm thankful that the courts now generally look at cell phone text and call records in cases like this.

I think this guy's in deep doodoo, largely for distracted driving and the hit and run nature of his crime. Hitting a cyclist is no worse in most peoples' eyes than hitting a deer.

[Dead Man]

Avoid that section altogether. Here's one of our favorite rides that keeps us/you from riding past St Helen's...it does involve climbing but pays off with a great downhill and a very fast run back to Dirty 30:

Before you get into St Helen's take a right on Old Portland Rd then down to a left on Millard Rd which becomes McNulty Way. McNulty Way T's into Gable Rd, turn left. Follow Gable, which will become Bachelor Flat Rd, to Summit View Dr, turn right. At the next stop sign turn left on Sykes Rd. Begin climbing and follow Sykes to Brooks which will become Boozer/Brooks rd. Continue climbing to the intersection with Cater Rd and turn right. Massively fast downhill that ends into Scappoose-Vernonia Rd. Turn left and fly back down on Scappoose-Vernonia Rd until it hits Dirty 30. Turn right and head back to Portland on Dirty 30. OR, continue through the intersection and across Hwy 30 and up to W. Lane Rd. Turn left and continue with the airport on your right. Take a slight right at N. Honeyman Rd and ride the most beautiful, quiet, flat loop around the Scappoose Dike Rd which will bring you out on the other side of Scappoose towards Portland avoiding Dirty 30 through Scappoose.

I ride these roads almost daily... I live in Saint Helens. ;)

[sitzmark]

I think this guy's in deep doodoo, largely for distracted driving and the hit and run nature of his crime. Hitting a cyclist is no worse in most peoples' eyes than hitting a deer.

This isn't really the case - bicyclists being animal fodder. Criminal prosecution in auto on auto accidents is also rare, except for driving under the influence, and clear cases of intent or negligence. More automible operators/passengers die every year due to distracted driving than cyclists. If we're going to share the same roads, then we assume that risk too. Obviously a higher risk of not surviving the encounter on cycle, but if anyone thinks they're "safe" in car, then I guess they buy into the "safety" of helmets too.

[saab2000]

This isn't really the case - bicyclists being animal fodder. Criminal prosecution in auto on auto accidents is also rare, except for driving under the influence, and clear cases of intent or negligence. More automible operators/passengers die every year due to distracted driving than cyclists. If we're going to share the same roads, then we assume that risk too. Obviously a higher risk of not surviving the encounter on cycle, but if anyone thinks they're "safe" in car, then I guess they buy into the "safety" of helmets too.

I can't quite tell if you're defending the distracted driver or not. Texting is a 'risk' that we are 100% able to eliminate. We can eliminate most distractions, though not all. But taking our eyes off the road and our hands off the wheel to text is not simply a 'risk', it's borderline criminal negligence and I think that over time it will be recognized as the danger that it is. I think drinking and driving used to be viewed with a smirk and a wink and a nod and now it's a huge deal. A DUI even without an accident can be a career killer in many professions. There are exceptions, of course, but it's no secret anymore that a DUI conviction is serious.

I think that day will come for other forms of distracted driving, like texting. I'd bet the D/A in this case will be looking hard at the texting facts and that this driver will not get off lightly. Likely there will be a plea deal but I'd bet he gets to be a guest of the state for a while.

Edit: What will bring attention to this, and I think you allude to this, is not the deaths of cyclists. It will be the deaths of young people and their parents start to become activists, along the lines of MADD, etc. Until then it won't happen.

[sitzmark]

I'm in no way defending distracted driving. That said, anything where a driver takes 100% focus off of piloting the vehicle is practicing "distracted driving". Looking at gauges, adjusting controls (heat, radio, etc.) all qualify. Probably no driver shuns all forms of DD. Texting related deaths and injuries is an epidemic - especially with younger drivers - and is being focused upon as such.

My comment was directed to the suggestion that as cyclists we are being discriminated against and targeted. The complaint is that no one cares about cyclists because prosecutions are rare. They not common in the majority of any auto related death - be that a cyclist or other auto driver/passenger.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[saab2000]

I'm in no way defending distracted driving. That said, anything where a driver takes 100% focus off of piloting the vehicle is practicing "distracted driving". Looking at gauges, adjusting controls (heat, radio, etc.) all qualify. Probably no driver shuns all forms of DD. Texting related deaths and injuries is an epidemic - especially with younger drivers - and is being focused upon as such.

My comment was directed to the suggestion that as cyclists we are being discriminated against and targeted. The complaint is that no one cares about cyclists because prosecutions are rare. They not common in the majority of any auto related death - be that a cyclist or other auto driver/passenger.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We're not being targeted, but there seems to be at least anecdotal evidence that courts and police look at accidents involving a cyclist very casually, as if it's the cyclist's fault just for being on the road, rather than a road user with rights (and responsibilities).

There appear to be case after case of drivers who hit cyclists and get off virtually scott free whereas had they hit another driver, or pedestrian, they might have been cited for something more serious. There seems to be a multi-tiered justice when accidents involve cyclists.

Maybe that's just anecdotal. It would be interesting to read hard evidence on this.

[gdw]

Cycling forums are generally populated by people with strong opinions and little to no real knowledge of how law enforcement agencies and the courts handle fatal accidents. Look elsewhere if you want to find unbiased information.

[oldpotatoe]

Cycling forums are generally populated by people with strong opinions and little to no real knowledge of how law enforcement agencies and the courts handle fatal accidents. Look elsewhere if you want to find unbiased information.

Pa dum dum ....reality, what a concept!!

[dpk501]

That incident has me freaked out about 30 now. I couldn't even bring myself to ride on it today. This is why I throw my phone in to the glove box when I get in the car. It always freaks me out to see the number of people texting in their cars.

[ultraman6970]

There are so many apps to text w.o even touching the f... phone that i really cant get it. My last big job had to drive and text but that was years ago when apps were not like now pretty much available everywhere, besides aps for palm or blackberies back years ago were simply not there yet.

I get freak out when I see drivers just having conversations by texting, seen several crashes too, the bad thing is that here is forbidden to text and drive, and as usual cops are never around.

I dont even have a working cell right now to text so I learn to live w/o having everybody to know all my life in facebook or wasting my time texting even more non sense either.

[shovelhd]

The cops are too busy texting and killing cyclists.

[buddybikes]

Good site with some interesting statistics, of course if you believe the statistics, and optional apps to at least stop our kids from killing others.
http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats/