cyclist loses leg in collision with truck

[kevinvc]

Story here. (http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/05/section_of_se_powell_closed_af.html)
Incredibly sad. I didn't know him personally but have seen his name in local race results. He was riding south on street when northbound truck turned left (west) in front of him. Investigation continuing. Driver stayed on scene to tell his story. Looks like cyclist will survive but he has a long difficult road ahead oF him. I'm trying to remain objective but I can't imagine the scenario where this is not the truck driver's fault.

[572cv]

A few very close calls were reported on the local club list serve here in VT over the weekend, e.g. pickup truck passing on left , goes by, then makes right turn in front of cyclist. One supposition raised was that the drivers did not have a realistic sense of how fast cyclists are going. It was noted that 20mph means forward movement of 29.3 ft/sec, so a little over 3 secs to stop from someone turning 100 ft ahead, broadly.

Increasingly, I see a need to educate more about the dynamics of other vehicles, about the way to handle curves, in other words, real training of driver skills, not just the rules of the road.

[parris]

I was out with some friends Saturday and got passed by an OLD driver who then did his best to right hook us. I really think 572cv has a good point. The guy just had no clue as to how much space he really needed. Another factor that may have been in play was that it was late afternoon and we were heading west.

[JAllen]

I just posted another thread didn't see this one. It's my wife's cousin. I just found out...

[Lewis Moon]

So sad to hear this. This really brings the objective danger to the forefront.

Both times I've been hit it was by drivers making left turns in front of me. Both drivers stated that they didn't realize I was going so fast.

[FlashUNC]

I don't want to downplay the severity of his injuries and the very real changes this will lead to in his life at all, but its good to hear that it wasn't worse.

My thoughts are with him, but from the Oregonian's stories it sounds like he's got some great friends and family to help him through all this.

[guido]

My thoughts are with him and his family.

[hesh0925]

Had a similar accident. I was heading west, car was heading east. Driver decided to make a left and boom. Still have shoulder issues from it, but that's absolutely nothing compared to what happened to this guy. Very sad to hear :(

[sailorboy]

Best wishes to the rider involved here. Truck driver better have deep insurance before it's all said and done, this will be costly.

Regarding drivers turning, I've started to use a front flasher light in addition to the rear lately because of similar close calls with drivers approaching and waiting to turn left. I think many of them either don't see you or mis-judge your speed which I think is easier to do when approaching you from opposite way vice overtaking you.

With the right hooks unfortunately it seems like a lot of the close calls I've had relate more to the moronic 'pass cyclist quickly no matter what...' mentality that unfortunately most drivers have.

My favorite is when you're approaching a long line of stopped traffic or a stop sign and the driver over-taking you is so hell-bent on passing that they nearly ram the stopped cars or practically lock up the brakes before the stop sign. I've seen it too many times to come to any more innocent conculsion or giving most of these people the benefit of the doubt.

Amazing how callous and self-serving people can be out there. Be safe folks.

[kevinvc]

JAllen- I am so sorry to hear that this is someone you know. I've seen his name on the posted results at some of the races I've been in. He seemed like a pretty accomplished guy for someone in his 20s. All the best to him and his family.

The raw numbers of motor vehicle / bike collisions has been going up and I think there are a number of factors involved. First, there are more bikes on the roads, so the accident rate isn't necessarily higher. Second, I think it's inarguable there are more distracted drivers now than previously. The proliferation of personal electronic devices and culture of non-stop phone and social media communications seems to have increased. I'm sure we all have stories of close calls with people driving while talking on the phone, texting, looking down at a device on their lap, etc.

Another possible contribution is pure speculation. I think that their is a growing culture of "bikes vs. cars" that has led to some people viewing the other side with more callous disregard. The media certainly contribute to this with their inflammatory reporting and click-bait online articles. I wonder if this continuous messaging of us vs. them makes some people view others as a rival tribe and use less caution around them than they would otherwise.

The legal system certainly isn't helping. In most cases, all the motorist has to say is that they didn't see the cyclist and they're unlikely to get anything more than a traffic citation at most. In the last few years there have been multiple cyclists killed in right hooks where the driver got off without criminal charges. Just last week our local paper had an article on a driver who ran a red light, admitted being distracted and killed 3 children walking in the crosswalk. The DA determined that distraction is not equal to negligence and no charges were filed. There was a follow-up editorial titled "Sometimes a tragic accident is just a tragic accident" even though this was clearly the driver's fault and entirely avoidable.

The vast majority of road users are reasonably competent and don't want to hit anyone else. But our current environment and legal system make it such that avoidable collisions carry little legal repercussions and, culturally, the victim will be viewed as bearing some level of blame simply for being on the road.

[oldpotatoe]

I don't want to downplay the severity of his injuries and the very real changes this will lead to in his life at all, but its good to hear that it wasn't worse.

My thoughts are with him, but from the Oregonian's stories it sounds like he's got some great friends and family to help him through all this.

My thoughts to him also but living is going to mean major changes to his life, not insurmountable but it's going to be very hard for him. Death is terrible, for those living, but death is a 'rest', and the tough part is for those still alive....when I got hit, many said good thing I wasn't killed....... being in a wheelchair would have been far harder for me than getting killed...

I wish him the very best for the very long and bumpy road ahead of him.

[fogrider]

Sorry to hear such a horrible thing to happen. I pray for peace for all involved.

[kevinvc]

Mods, could you please delete this thread? JAllen started one on the same topic that is getting more responses. I want to avoid clutter and duplication.

Thanks!