Acquaintance killed in cycling accident

[rinconryder]

I knew this guy from the triathlon scene, had hung out with him a few times and he dated a friend of mine. He wasn't a friend in the sense that we hung out all the time, but I definitely knew him from cycling and endurance sports. Still, felt like I got punched in the gut when I read this in the news this morning - completely random, could have been me just as easily. He left behind a little boy.

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20110818/NEWS01/108180313/Mt-Whitney-teacher-dies-cycling-collision-runner?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage

[fiamme red]

link (http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20110818/NEWS01/108180313/Mt-Whitney-teacher-dies-cycling-collision-runner?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFrontpage)

[BlackTiBob]

wow,
sorry to hear and it's too weird that it was a collision with a runner

[slowandsteady]

OMG, that is tragic. My thoughts and condolences to all involved.

[eddief]

three people i ride with locally have been down on their bikes over the last 45 days or so. all are ok. each a different set of circumstances. try to control those things you can, try to defend against the ones you can't.

[ultraman6970]

Darn kid, he wont forget ever to look back before doing something. It as really an accident, poor man, probably broke his neck or something, just bad luck or lack of skills... RIP :(

[Kevan]

Always give a walker/jogger a wide berth, especially those on bike/walk paths. I've seen folks frequently flip a Uy without so much as a glancing behind them first. I suppose there's that false sense of safety that comes when there no cars to worry about. They also use earbuds a whole lot more than us cyclists so add that to the dangerous cocktail. I've had a couple close calls and I want to believe those people have learned their lesson.

This is sorta avoidable in that you just need to treat them like you would worry about a parked car's door flying open, and some.

[rinconryder]

Some people here are going bananas on the runner. In my humble opinion nobody is to blame for this accident, just a freak thing. Pointing fingers in this type of situation doesn't solve a problem. We just all need to realize that riding at high speeds can and is dangerous and to always be vigilant. Most importantly, always enjoy your loves ones and friends because you never know when the last time you get to hug them will be and no matter what keep riding because that is what we do.

[Ken C]

I don't think anyone is going bananas on the runner. It is an unfortunate accident that might have been avoided if he was more aware. It is just one of those slit second things, no malicous intent on the runner obviously. Add in the fact that the kid is only 14. A lot of time we learn what we think everyone should know, by experience. How many of us have had close calls that we have learned from? At 14, the kid may not have had any experiences which would have taught him to always look. It is really sad, for both the cyclist and the kid, that this was not just a close call. The thing that separates a close call from an accident is just a few inches and bad luck.

The lesson to learn is that you can never assume you are alone on the road and you should always look before you change directions. That goes for runners, walkers, bicyclists, cars, etc.

[toaster]

RIP.

So sorry for all those who knew and loved this man.

[ultraman6970]

+1 man

I don't think anyone is going bananas on the runner. It is an unfortunate accident that might have been avoided if he was more aware. It is just one of those slit second things, no malicous intent on the runner obviously. Add in the fact that the kid is only 14. A lot of time we learn what we think everyone should know, by experience. How many of us have had close calls that we have learned from? At 14, the kid may not have had any experiences which would have taught him to always look. It is really sad, for both the cyclist and the kid, that this was not just a close call. The thing that separates a close call from an accident is just a few inches and bad luck.

The lesson to learn is that you can never assume you are alone on the road and you should always look before you change directions. That goes for runners, walkers, bicyclists, cars, etc.

[eddief]

if the runner simply turned around to start running in the opposite direction and the cyclists were barreling toward him at 35, they must have been pretty damn close ie on his butt. we all need to be vigilant.

Darn kid, he wont forget ever to look back before doing something. It as really an accident, poor man, probably broke his neck or something, just bad luck or lack of skills... RIP :(

[Peter P.]

It was a tragedy for sure; it was NOT an accident.

An accident is when a tire blows out as you're riding down the street and you lose control of your bike.

In this case, you have a 14 year old who likely lacked the lifetime of experience to behave properly before he made his U-turn.

You also had a cyclist who either failed to "expect the unexpected" or was traveling too fast as he passed the pedestrian.

Both parties bear some responsibility for what happened. You can bet the surviving runner and cyclist learned a lesson that day that they'll never forget. We should all learn from it as well before we make the same poor decisions.

[Dlevy05]

Scary.

[1happygirl]

(snip) We just all need to realize that riding at high speeds can and is dangerous and to always be vigilant. Most importantly, always enjoy your loves ones and friends because you never know when the last time you get to hug them will be and no matter what keep riding because that is what we do.

So sorry to all involved. So sorry for your friend. Happened elsewhere and the runner died. I have long felt running and cycling are best separate, maybe driving also.

WFAA
Posted on October 3, 2010 at 10:23 PM
Updated Monday, Oct 4 at 12:05 PM

DALLAS — A woman who was struck by a bicycle last week while jogging on the Katy Trail died of her injuries Sunday night.
The family of Lauren Huddleston said they fulfilled her final wish by donating her organs.
Huddleston had been jogging on Thursday night when she turned in front of a bicycle rider who had been trying to pass her.
Police said Huddleston was wearing headphones and may not have heard the rider coming.
A memorial service for the victim was being planned for later this week.

[BumbleBeeDave]

I think it was last season. Woman running downhill where the trail goes downhill to the river. My understanding is she was wearing earbuds and did a sudden U-turn at the bottom of the hill and cyclist coming down struck her. Serious injuries but no deaths.

I always call out when overtaking walkers on the trail. Sometimes they're scared--or annoyed that I yelled at them and startled them. Too bad. This is why I do it.

Many are wearing earbuds so you have to yell loud or they may not hear you, and coming up behind them I can't tell if they're wearing them. I just call out "Behind you" quite a ways back . . .

BBD

[Gummee]

By the grace of doG... I've been on MUTs where I've had joggers do u-turns directly in front of me. Luckily I've never hit anyone.

'Course, on a MUT, I'm not doing an estimated 35mph either.

Its gotta be a tough one for all involved. :nod

M

[rugbysecondrow]

Darn kid, he wont forget ever to look back before doing something. It as really an accident, poor man, probably broke his neck or something, just bad luck or lack of skills... RIP :(

HUH?

First, I am surprised they released the name of the minor.

Second, we don't know what happened here, but this is why ANNOUNCING YOUR PRESENCE IS MORE THAN A COURTESY. This is an all too infrequent occurrence where I ride.

Too bad for the loss, certainly a sad event.

So sorry to all involved. So sorry for your friend. Happened elsewhere and the runner died. I have long felt running and cycling are best separate, maybe driving also.

WFAA
Posted on October 3, 2010 at 10:23 PM
Updated Monday, Oct 4 at 12:05 PM

DALLAS — A woman who was struck by a bicycle last week while jogging on the Katy Trail died of her injuries Sunday night.
The family of Lauren Huddleston said they fulfilled her final wish by donating her organs.
Huddleston had been jogging on Thursday night when she turned in front of a bicycle rider who had been trying to pass her.
Police said Huddleston was wearing headphones and may not have heard the rider coming.
A memorial service for the victim was being planned for later this week.

We all know runners get in their own head, but just as we hold automobiles to a higher standard because of their weight and speed, cyclists should be held to a higher standard. If this were a car that struck and killed a cyclists, folks would be clamoring for penalties. Why let the cyclist of the hook for killing this pedestrian/jogger?

[rugbysecondrow]

It was a tragedy for sure; it was NOT an accident.

An accident is when a tire blows out as you're riding down the street and you lose control of your bike.

In this case, you have a 14 year old who likely lacked the lifetime of experience to behave properly before he made his U-turn.

You also had a cyclist who either failed to "expect the unexpected" or was traveling too fast as he passed the pedestrian.

Both parties bear some responsibility for what happened. You can bet the surviving runner and cyclist learned a lesson that day that they'll never forget. We should all learn from it as well before we make the same poor decisions.


I think you need to rethink how you use the word accident then, because your standard is not inline with common acceptance of the term nor most all definitions.

ac·ci·dentNoun/ˈaksidənt/
1. An unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.

a : an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance

[benb]

If these guys had been on motorcycles no one would be calling this an accident... they were overtaking and had the responsibility to keep the situation safe.

35mph is way too fast to be that close to any pedestrian. Direct consequences of failing to think through riding behavior.

If we can't hold ourselves accountable eventually society and/or the government is going to.

What if the cyclist had killed the runner? Would that also be an unfortunate accident?

[Matt-H]

Yes, an accident, plain and simple. More importantly, a very sad loss of a mentor and father. Sure seems like he was liked by his students.

I already give runners a very wide berth when I am riding on the road or path. I must say I am used to runners running against traffic on the road (it sounds like the opposite may have occured in this instance assuming the cyclists were riding with the flow of traffic). Overtaking a runner going in the same direction will now make me extra cautious.

[Keith A]

I just spoke to a friend who used to live in Exeter and has ridden this hill many times. He stated that due to the fact that there are no trees or anything on this hill that the visibility even around the corners is very good. His wife went to high school with the deceased and his younger sister. Very sad indeed.