Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: accident, bicycle, bike, commute, commuting, safety
There’s another horrible auto-cyclist accident in the news this morning.
A driver in Texas, who was apparently drunk, hit a cyclist, who went through the car’s back window, and ended up in the back seat. The driver then drove home and tried to hide the vehicle, with the cyclist still in the back seat! A relative found the car and called 911, but the cyclist was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – A driver accused of slamming head-on into a bicyclist, who was left in the car’s back seat after he toppled over the roof and crashed through the rear window, was jailed Monday on an intoxication manslaughter charge.
Vincent Paul Riojas, 27, is accused of hitting Ronnie Monroe Keller, 59, on Saturday in Grand Prairie, a suburb of Dallas where both men lived. Investigators said Riojas was driving on Texas 180 when he drifted into oncoming traffic.
The impact hurled Keller into the windshield of the car and flipped him over the roof before he crashed through the rear window, investigators said.
Riojas drove from the scene to his home and apparently tried to hide the car in a side yard before fleeing, according to a police statement released Monday.
Riojas’ relatives found Keller critically injured in the car and called police. Keller was dead when he arrived at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
Quoted from MSNBC
This just serves as a reminder that no matter how careful we are when we ride our bicycles, we still have to constantly be on guard for things beyond our control.
Be alert. Ride safe.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: accident, bicycle, bike, commute, commuting, defensive driving, defensive riding, fatal, safety
As I left the office yesterday afternoon I noticed that the traffic was backed up more than it usually is, and I could see emergency vehicles up ahead.
As I got closer I realized that the emergency vehicles were located mostly on the shoulder, not in the main traffic lanes. The fire truck and EMT vehicles pulled away as I got closer, and I pondered how I was going to weave my way through the police cars that remained. One of the policemen got into his vehicle and began to move, so I slowed down and waited for him as he pulled further out of traffic. Suddenly I noticed that there was a bicycle on the shoulder, with a completely crumpled front wheel! I was still trying to make my way through the police and onlookers, as well as the line of cars, so I couldn’t really pause to take it all in, but I noticed the cyclist sitting on the tailgate of a pickup. He looked like he was okay, and I didn’t notice any blood or scrapes, so I’m thinking that he must have been able to bail out before the vehicle hit him. If I had it to do over again I would have probably stopped and tried to talk to the cyclist or get some pictures, but I was so flustered by all of this that I just got clear of the accident and kept on pedaling.
There have been several accidents between cars and cyclists in our town as things have warmed up and more people have been riding,but seeing something like this on my regular route shook me up a bit. Even though I didn’t know the person that got hit, It just made it a lot more personal that this was a guy whom I could easily meet on any given day as we made our commutes.
In fact, it could have been me.
When I got home I found out that there had been another accident downtown earlier in the day, and the cyclist was killed. It sounds like this was just a freak thing, because the driver was diabetic and apparently went into diabetic shock and had no idea that she had even hit anyone.
That is scary.
We as bicyclists have to remember that we can do everything possible to be visible…
- lights
- reflective gear
- bright clothing
- taking the lane
- knowing the rules of the road
- etc.
…but even well intentioned drivers can still have situations which put us at risk!
When you got your driver’s license you were probably taught “defensive driving”. This is basically staying aware of your surroundings, and anticipating what the other drivers are doing, and being ready to respond if something goes wrong.
When you ride your bike be sure you practice “defensive riding”. Enjoy your ride, but stay alert! Always be aware of your surroundings. Don’t assume that drivers can see you. Make sure that your bike is in good condition to ride. Check your brakes, tires, quick releases, etc.
Bicycling is a wonderful thing when done right. Please do your part to ride safely.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: accident, bicycle, bike, Bike Commuting, cars, fence, funny
Today I was making my lunch and I heard a strange noise outside. It wasn’t a noise that I recognized… in fact it was one of those noises where you don’t know what it is but it makes you think that something isn’t quite right. So, I looked in front of my house and this is what I saw…
It seems that my neighbor had forgotten to set the parking brake on her car, so when she went inside the car decided to take matters into its own hands, and with the help of gravity, it rolled across the street, jumped the curb, and stopped at my fence!
Well, vinyl fencing is flexible, and as you can see in the picture, it was flexing. At the end of it all no harm was done, and we had a good laugh out of it.
Now… if she did her commuting by bike, instead of by car… none of this would have ever happened. Yet another reason that bike commuting makes the world a better, safer place.
Have a good day, and watch out for those evil cars! 🙂
Drive My Bike 