Sad News: Death at a charity bicycle event

[bigflax925]

"Death at a charity bicycle event" (http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Death-at-a-charity-bicycle-event/RX3J_Rszk0O_eKoEyc92iA.cspx?rss=315)

"LITTLE ROCK, AR - The Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office says a woman died after crashing her bike during the “Ranch Ride” in Conway Saturday.

According to the sheriff’s office, 49-year-old Mary Jo French of Perry AR lost control of her bike will riding down Mobley Road. They say she fell off and hit a parked reserve deputy’s patrol car parked on the side of the road. She was taken to Conway regional where she was pronounced dead.

The Ranch Ride benefits the Soaring Wings Ranch in Conway."

Thoughts and prayers to all involved.

[mtnbke]

I'm curious how "parked" that police vehicle was at the time of the accident.

[rugbysecondrow]

I'm curious how "parked" that police vehicle was at the time of the accident.

That sounds like a question you would have.

If it is like many events, the police were likely parked there to provide support and help with traffic.

[LesMiner]

I wonder if there is a published statistic on charity ride fatalities and injuries. I have heard of people blowing through a stop sign right into an oncoming car. Several massive heart attack deaths within a few miles of the start. Riders not able to handle a tight turn and go off road into a ravine resulting in broken bones etc. Others letting their jacket or something get tangled into the wheel and over the handlebars they go. I have done the MS 150 here 14 times and there is always a medical emergency of some kind.

[rugbysecondrow]

In a triathlon I participated in last month there were two bike injuries. One guy was run over by a deer and hurt badly. It was a pretty traumatic scene. Another guy's foot slipped off the pedal going up hill and he speared himself on the big chainring.

http://www2.wsls.com/news/2011/may/09/5/cyclist-critically-injured-after-being-hit-deer-sm-ar-1026772/

Lots of variables that account for injuries at events.

[konstantkarma]

Organized charity rides usually have an abundance of inexperienced and marginally experienced riders in the mix. That, together with the increased gawker factor and the unfamiliarity with the routes can spell trouble. I have been involved in many close calls at these events. Sometimes riders stop in the middle of the road to talk with friends. I was almost in a serious crash on the a "Covered Bridge" century in Lancaster County, PA, when a guy in front of me stopped suddenly to admire a bridge. Unfortunately, there were about 30 riders behind him.

These events are fun in many ways, but there is a certain amount of additional hazard involved.

[Hawker]

Deer are really becoming a problem and many suburban areas need to find ways to keep the populations down and STOP feeding them! Still, what are the chances of being broadsided by a deer? Hope the guy recovers fully.

[RPS]

Deer are really becoming a problem and many suburban areas need to find ways to keep the populations down and STOP feeding them! Still, what are the chances of being broadsided by a deer? Hope the guy recovers fully.
Happened to a guy I rode with for many years on his way home after a local ride. He didn’t even know what hit him, and had to be told after he regained consciousness in ambulance. If not for witnesses that reported accident to police he wouldn’t have known it was a deer.

[seatown7]

I'm curious how "parked" that police vehicle was at the time of the accident.

Yes...I'm certain the evil cops falsified the results of the heavily documented fatality crash investigation. Since it involved a police vehicle the investigation was likely conducted by an outside agency. You really think cops will risk their careers and possibly go to prison to cover for another officer who they probably don't even know? Things are quite different in the real world than they are in those "Starsky and Hutch" reruns you're watching.

[CunegoFan]

I wonder if there is a published statistic on charity ride fatalities and injuries. I have heard of people blowing through a stop sign right into an oncoming car. Several massive heart attack deaths within a few miles of the start. Riders not able to handle a tight turn and go off road into a ravine resulting in broken bones etc. Others letting their jacket or something get tangled into the wheel and over the handlebars they go. I have done the MS 150 here 14 times and there is always a medical emergency of some kind.

Based on what I have seen, the number of injuries has to be pretty dang high. I am surprised that local residents do not set up chairs at angled railroad tracks to watch the inevitable crashes.

[Seramount]

really not surprised to read of fatalities at these types of rides.

I did the Houston/Austin MS 150 once. have never seen so many situationally-unaware, skill-devoid riders in one group.

there were uncountable instances of brain-dead actions, but the worst was a woman who stopped in the middle of the road on a blind curve to take a photo. the 10-rider crashfest she was directly responsible for was ugly.

have never considered doing that ride again.

in light of zero evidence for the assertion, questioning whether the police created the accident in the OP is totally tinfoil hat stuff...

[MattTuck]

Based on what I have seen, the number of injuries has to be pretty dang high. I am surprised that local residents do not set up chairs at angled railroad tracks to watch the inevitable crashes.

I've ridden over angled rail road crossings 100's of times and never gone down once. I take a little more car in the rain. I suspect crashes are the result of people panicking at the THOUGHT of angled railroad tracks.

[CunegoFan]

I've ridden over angled rail road crossings 100's of times and never gone down once. I take a little more car in the rain. I suspect crashes are the result of people panicking at the THOUGHT of angled railroad tracks.

I too have ridden over tracks hundreds of times and never gone down, but I have seen lots of people who have. I think it occurs when they either approach at the wrong angle or attempt to turn a little when a wheel is on a track. I have done centuries where they have a volunteer stationed at railroad tracks, which I assume is done because so many people have turfed it there during previous years.

I think there are lots of little things that experienced riders do on instinct, and they do not realize that noobs are clueless about such things.

[palincss]

I too have ridden over tracks hundreds of times and never gone down, but I have seen lots of people who have. I think it occurs when they either approach at the wrong angle or attempt to turn a little when a wheel is on a track. I have done centuries where they have a volunteer stationed at railroad tracks, which I assume is done because so many people have turfed it there during previous years.

I think there are lots of little things that experienced riders do on instinct, and they do not realize that noobs are clueless about such things.

I did TOSRV (Tour of the Scioto River Valley) in Ohio in 2003. There's a particularly bad angled track crossing just outside Portsmouth, which is the end of the first day's century. There were quite a few crashes on the tracks on the first day, some because riders right in front crashed and those behind tried to turn to avoid the wreck. One of the people I was riding with wrecked her wheel that way, but fortunately didn't get injured.

The next morning, on the ride back to Columbus, we saw an ambulance and EMTs stationed by the RR crossing, and a large lighted billboard (the kind volunteer fire companies use to advertise Saturday's poker night) warning of the angled tracks. As we approached the crossing we saw someone crash on the tracks.

[ultraman6970]

Many people doesn't know how to ride a bike, less to ride in a big group. Other ones think they know but actually are a real hazard to ride with. In those events u have two options, or go to the front or just wait until all those rookies spread around the road and start passing them little by little.

As for the lady who died, it is a sad but if the poor woman was a rookie that started riding a bike last week pretty much is self explanatory that she might have done something wrong, did not know what to do, panicked and just crashed the cop car because she might had not known what to do besides scream (speculating here). The bad news is that if you go at least 15 mph and hit a parked car u will get a nasty accident, or die. All depends of how good you are with crashes also (i always said that some crashes are manageable)

Sad tho.. :(

[ultraman6970]

There is stupid people everywhere, sunday coming back home from the beach i was in the median waiting for the traffic to stop to make a turn when a stupid old man out of nowhere stop at my left, the moron now was not able to see the traffic coming because i was there 1st, looked at me with his hands "what do i do??", I looked at him and i said "are u DUMB??", he read my lips for sure because waited for me to tell him what to do. At the light the 70 y/o sucker and his wife did not stop in the red light!!! So pretty much i believe you because people does pretty dumb s..t, besides they can't even figure it out they are doing something bad.

when a guy in front of me stopped suddenly to admire a bridge