Vancouver cyclist hit by pickup truck carrying overhanging load on Sea to Sky

[RonW87]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

Here some further news on condition and charges https://bc.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2007889

CAD$484 fine?!

[robt57]

I double my load strapping for the SFT. That is System Fault Tolerance for those who do not know. What will is hurt to double secure, Can't fix lazy/stupid. Negligence all the way!

With any luck he will have some commercial liability and or deeper pockets. I'd be at the attorney's office as soon as was practicable.

[homagesilkhope]

Originally Posted by m_sasso

Here some further news on condition and charges https://bc.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2007889

Multiple references in that bit of journalism to the cyclist being hit by the "truck" and the "load of lumber." If you asked me, I'd want to be clear: the cyclist was hit by the driver or allegedly hit by the driver, if you will.

Furthermore, query: why do we learn from that coverage the name of the cyclist but not the name of the driver?

As for the minor tickets issued, I don't know anything about Canadian law but figure that shouldn't preclude a prosecutor from bringing additional, more serious charges.

[Peter P.]

Duplicate message.

[Peter P.]

Forgive me if I'm missing something, but I don't see what the driver did being any different than cyclists who drive into the garage with their bike on the roof rack.

Except for in one case, others are injured vs. just object damage in the other case, both parties did dumb.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

Forgive me if I'm missing something, but I don't see what the driver did being any different than cyclists who drive into the garage with their bike on the roof rack.

Except for in one case, others are injured vs. just object damage in the other case, both parties did dumb.

When you are on a public road, you have a safety obligation to those around you. Being dumb and hurting other people is called negligence.

Do whatever you want with your garage and your bike.

[gasman]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

Forgive me if I'm missing something, but I don't see what the driver did being any different than cyclists who drive into the garage with their bike on the roof rack.

Except for in one case, others are injured vs. just object damage in the other case, both parties did dumb.

Really ? No difference ? A person was injured and could have been killed easily.

You have a responsibility as a driver to make sure your load is secured. I doubt he took off with his load like that -that highway has a lot of turns.

[robertbb]

I lived in Vanc for a year in 2005.

Granted things may have changed on that road leading up to the Winter Olympics, but I don't remember the sea to sky being that wide. How is it the idiot driver didn't hit anything else?

Hope rider is OK.

[pasadena]

loaded over the cab. tailgate as a backstop.
Wrapped all the wood together, but not to the headache rack.

80kph, wind took the bundle up and off to the side as he was passing the cyclist.

People get real lazy putting loads into trucks and racks.

[Dead Man]

thats flippin weird. im guessing - as someone else posted - it wasnt swung all the way out like that till he hit the cyclist. and yea, it was definitely over the headache bar when he initially strapped it down. im sure he THOUGHT he'd strapped it down really well - look at all that strapping at the bed end. and the fact that its still somehow stuck to the truck, despite physics.

a bounce around a curve, 50mph wind, loud music, somewhat dim wits... its just not that inconceivable to me... also not inconceivable that he'd ~just~ be fined for unsecured load, and the DA or whoever is in charge of the "investigation" would leave the rest to the civil court.

im not excusing anything here, but some of you guys obviously havent seen much or the world or done much of ... anything.

[pasadena]

You can see exactly how he strapped it down in the photo.

Loaded on the headache rack and strapped down the planks right down the middle of the bed and bunched the end sticking up in the air.

Wind pushed the bundle up,
sliding the center strap down to the tailgate,
loosening as the wind kept pushing the bundle up:
self-loosening system.

Would have worked if he stayed under 40kph.
Or if anchored towards the cab instead of behind the fulcrum point.

Originally Posted by Dead Man

thats flippin weird. im guessing - as someone else posted - it wasnt swung all the way out like that till he hit the cyclist. and yea, it was definitely over the headache bar when he initially strapped it down. im sure he THOUGHT he'd strapped it down really well - look at all that strapping at the bed end. and the fact that its still somehow stuck to the truck, despite physics.

a bounce around a curve, 50mph wind, loud music, somewhat dim wits... its just not that inconceivable to me... also not inconceivable that he'd ~just~ be fined for unsecured load, and the DA or whoever is in charge of the "investigation" would leave the rest to the civil court.

im not excusing anything here, but some of you guys obviously havent seen much or the world or done much of ... anything.

[climbgdh]

I live in Squamish which is reasonably close (20km north) of where this accident happened. The highway was hugely improved with the upgrades being completed in 2009 before the Olympics. Even with these improvements I ride this highway very infrequently since the traffic is so heavy. I used to regularly do group rides from Vancouver to Squamish or Whistler but I very seldom venture onto the highway now unless it’s on the northern section between Squamish and Whistler. The Vancouver to Squamish section has a decent shoulder in most sections but there is also many sections were you have a concrete barrier, 2 feet to ride on, 1 foot wide rumble strip then the white line and traffic. NOT a lot of room at the end of the day. This entire highway is basically built into the side of the north shore mountains along Howe Sound. It’s an unbelievably beautiful section of highway but not one I’d recommend regularly riding on. In saying that what this idiot did is complete negligence. Hopefully the injured rider heals quickly and lawyers up!!!

Originally Posted by robertbb

I lived in Vanc for a year in 2005.

Granted things may have changed on that road leading up to the Winter Olympics, but I don't remember the sea to sky being that wide. How is it the idiot driver didn't hit anything else?

Hope rider is OK.

[Dead Man]

Originally Posted by pasadena

You can see exactly how he strapped it down in the photo.

Loaded on the headache rack and strapped down the planks right down the middle of the bed and bunched the end sticking up in the air.

Wind pushed the bundle up,
sliding the center strap down to the tailgate,
loosening as the wind kept pushing the bundle up:
self-loosening system.

Would have worked if he stayed under 40kph.
Or if anchored towards the cab instead of behind the fulcrum point.

word. he would have been fine if he'd just thought to run that strap at the top thru the headache bar. so would the cyclist.

[redir]

Ok what's a "headache rack?" I'm sure the cyclist had a hell of a headache.

[Dead Man]

i spent most of my adult life in construction management, and often enough had to bring plywood or other lumber out to the crews. its not like you take a class to learn how to secure loads - every truck is different, every setup is different, and the assortment of odd objects is always very different. you just have to use some sense and make sure you have adequate strapping for what youre trying to do. in all my years hauling crap around in pickup trucks and on trailers, i only ever lost a load once - i had a bunch of lumber in the truck bed and had like 5-10 sheets of plywood to throw on.. it was an 8' bed, but my behind-cab tool box was low and with all the lumber in there, couldnt slide the sheets under it. i personally hated hanging **** off the back of the truck, and would prefer to run **** over the toolbox and strap it down there. so thats what i did... but then jamming down the highway at 60mph, i hear/see some of the plywood lift up and hit the ladder rack above, and then just fly out the back and hit the highway. slammed on the brakes, pulled over, jumped out to see who/what got hit (busy freeway), but apparently no cars were hit, none hit each other.. all good. thank the gods.

to this day i have no idea what went wrong. angling the sheets up like that would obviously tend to create a 'scoop' of sorts, but id strapped it down.. id hauled ply like that countless times. the strap wasnt broken, it just wasnt securing the plywood anymore. best guess is that a particularly strong gust lifted the tail end of the plywood and allowed the two top sheets to slide backward beyond the tailgate and out from under the strap.. then the wind just snatched em away.

its quite possible the dude DID actually secure the load to the headache bar, and the strap broke or weight shifted enough to loosen it.. we will probably never know. but to assume and declare hes ****ing "criminally negligent" is unreasonable and demonstrates a lack of knowledge requisite for making the call in the first place.

any time anyone posts any kind of "accident" thread in this bitch, you guys come out with pitch forks and torches and it really makes me think a lot of you just havent left your computer in 40 years. just because youve lived a life of safety and privilege and cant conceive a mitigating explanation for how **** happens or how people end up in ****ty situations doesnt mean there arent any.

and this thread isnt even that bad, comparatively.