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More sad news. Stay safe out there.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2004/02/20/hitandrun.DTL
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2004/02/20/hitandrun.DTL
Fatal hit and run
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i just saw this on the news. they showed the guys mangled bike and helmet. and they did the piece after i just told my wife that if there is a break in the weather i hoped to go for a ride. not good timing. she just looked at me likeGeekRoadie said:
i hope the other rider recovers.
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30 Posts
Sad situation all around...
Who's to say how any of us would react in that situation? I like to think that I would have the balls to stick around and take responsibility for my actions. I like to think that my momma raised one tough, honest [email protected] But who among us can really say they know what goes through your mind in a time like that.
The driver turned himself in yesterday (the day after the accident)...an honest man coming to his senses, or just cold logic--who's to say, since the van was registered in his name?
So there you have it. One cyclist's life lost, another's hanging in the balance, and a motorist's torn apart by circumstances he couldn't imagined in his worst nightmares. And three families devastated. All in a fraction of a second.
And throwing the driver in jail will accomplish what, exactly?
Lest you think I am too cavalier about this, the accident occurred less than one mile from my house. I have ridden through that intersection countless times, with my girls in tow, no less. My wife and girls drove past the intersection shortly after the accident (but didn't know exactly what had happened; all they saw were a lot of cop cars and a police helicopter flying very low). And I rode by today, stopped to look at the flower petals that had been cast on the ground, and paused to reflect for a moment...
Tragedy.
There is no way to salvage any winning position from these circumstances. No punishment, no recourse, no retribution can bring back the dead; replace the missing dad, uncle, brother, son, partner, friend, colleague (your pick). And no punishment, no recourse, no retribution is going to make the next driver pay more attention to the road and less to his cell phone, radio, or MP3 player. It's just that simple.
Assuming that there were no drugs/alcohol involved, the poor schmuck who hit him probably had a mental lapse...we all have made them while driving (admit it). Most of us have been lucky, saved by other defensive drivers or other fortunate circumstances. This driver was not as lucky, and the riders' luck was worse that day. The driver clearly freaked out...he took off and ditched his van about a mile away, and disappeared on foot.dlbcx said:
Who's to say how any of us would react in that situation? I like to think that I would have the balls to stick around and take responsibility for my actions. I like to think that my momma raised one tough, honest [email protected] But who among us can really say they know what goes through your mind in a time like that.
The driver turned himself in yesterday (the day after the accident)...an honest man coming to his senses, or just cold logic--who's to say, since the van was registered in his name?
So there you have it. One cyclist's life lost, another's hanging in the balance, and a motorist's torn apart by circumstances he couldn't imagined in his worst nightmares. And three families devastated. All in a fraction of a second.
And throwing the driver in jail will accomplish what, exactly?
Lest you think I am too cavalier about this, the accident occurred less than one mile from my house. I have ridden through that intersection countless times, with my girls in tow, no less. My wife and girls drove past the intersection shortly after the accident (but didn't know exactly what had happened; all they saw were a lot of cop cars and a police helicopter flying very low). And I rode by today, stopped to look at the flower petals that had been cast on the ground, and paused to reflect for a moment...
Tragedy.
There is no way to salvage any winning position from these circumstances. No punishment, no recourse, no retribution can bring back the dead; replace the missing dad, uncle, brother, son, partner, friend, colleague (your pick). And no punishment, no recourse, no retribution is going to make the next driver pay more attention to the road and less to his cell phone, radio, or MP3 player. It's just that simple.
mmm yeah but if drivers got the message that if they hit a cyclist they would get a mandatory jail sentence then attitudes would change very quickly. Drivers would see cyclists as 'dangerous' (a threat to their liberty) and take far more care.
A change in the law is reqired to ensure cyclist's safety on the roads - plus a vastly improved road sense in the riders. We also need more cycle lanes, softer bumpers on cars and improved driver education.
take care, and if you see a driver doing something dangerous to you let them know in no uncertain terms - it's the way they >will< learn. We shouldn't be apathetic about road safety.
steve
A change in the law is reqired to ensure cyclist's safety on the roads - plus a vastly improved road sense in the riders. We also need more cycle lanes, softer bumpers on cars and improved driver education.
take care, and if you see a driver doing something dangerous to you let them know in no uncertain terms - it's the way they >will< learn. We shouldn't be apathetic about road safety.
steve
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