New Zealand cyclists hit by a teen driver

[RoadRaven]

These are three cyclists that we ride with - members of our club

The two women are ones I admire... all three are in intensive care in hospital.

Please... some warm and healing thoughts for these dedicated and knowledgable cyclists... Shona and Ray are soon-to-be-grandparents...

At the moment I don't know anymore than this newspaper article:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10450409&pnum=0



Excerpts:
A husband and wife and their friend are in hospital with serious head injuries after an early morning cycle ride yesterday turned to horror when a car driven by a teenage motorist struck them from behind.

The trio, all of whom are in their 50s, were making their way to a training ride when a car being driven by an 18-year-old ploughed into them.

A fourth cyclist,narrowly missed being hit... she said she was in the cycling lane on the side of Havelock Rd - and was just metres ahead of the trio - when, just before 8am, she heard a noise behind her that sounded like a car tyre blowing out.

"I initially just heard this thump. I sort of turned around ... and caught this glimpse of a silver car coming towards me. I thought, 'Something is going to happen'. All I could remember was advice from other cyclists, 'If something is happening behind you cycle faster and get out of the way'. I just pumped my legs as fast as they would go and cycled as hard as I could. Then I heard metal and thought, 'Oh my God'."

When she turned around the silver car had stopped about a metre from the back of her bike.

"All I could see was this mangled bike under the car and a broken windscreen and Jo was in the middle of the road."

Serious crash investigator Sergeant Cory Ubels said police believe alcohol was a factor in the crash but it was too early to say if the teenage driver would face charges.

The Herald understands the driver had worked a nightshift and witnesses say he may have veered off the road after falling asleep, as the impact appeared to have occurred in the cycle lane.

[crazycanuck]

fark...:mad:

((((RR & Friends)))))

I don't know what else to say except please remember your friends are in my thoughts.

Why does this remind me of the Amy Gillett accident?

So much to say :(

C

[spokewench]

Road Raven: So sorry to hear about this tragic happening. I am just sending healing thoughts towards all that were hurt and also to the woman who just missed being hit. She must be totally devastated.

Spoke

[Grog]

Very warm thoughts sent your way and that of your friends. This is terrible.

[RoadRaven]

Thanks peoples... still no more news this morning - only family are allowed to the hospital at the moment.

The ironic thing is that Ray is the club's safety officer!

Colleen, who missed being hit by metres had her husband there as well. He was riding behind the riders at a bit of a distance, and so he arrived on the scene just after it happened...

CC... The Australian Women's Team is exactly what I thought of when I first learned about it too... To wipe out three riders from behind like that - speed and inattention and carelessness have to be involved.


Be safe out there people, even early on Sunday mornings in the cycle lane when everything should be right with the world...

[Geonz]

Hang in there, hang on... thoughts and prayers going that direction...


(does make me want to snatch the keys from ....anybody... and just say THINK!!! )

[wannaduacentury]

These are three cyclists that we ride with - members of our club

The two women are ones I admire... all three are in intensive care in hospital.

Please... some warm and healing thoughts for these dedicated and knowledgable cyclists... Shona and Ray are soon-to-be-grandparents...

At the moment I don't know anymore than this newspaper article:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10450409&pnum=0



Excerpts:
A husband and wife and their friend are in hospital with serious head injuries after an early morning cycle ride yesterday turned to horror when a car driven by a teenage motorist struck them from behind.

The trio, all of whom are in their 50s, were making their way to a training ride when a car being driven by an 18-year-old ploughed into them.

A fourth cyclist,narrowly missed being hit... she said she was in the cycling lane on the side of Havelock Rd - and was just metres ahead of the trio - when, just before 8am, she heard a noise behind her that sounded like a car tyre blowing out.

"I initially just heard this thump. I sort of turned around ... and caught this glimpse of a silver car coming towards me. I thought, 'Something is going to happen'. All I could remember was advice from other cyclists, 'If something is happening behind you cycle faster and get out of the way'. I just pumped my legs as fast as they would go and cycled as hard as I could. Then I heard metal and thought, 'Oh my God'."

When she turned around the silver car had stopped about a metre from the back of her bike.

"All I could see was this mangled bike under the car and a broken windscreen and Jo was in the middle of the road."

Serious crash investigator Sergeant Cory Ubels said police believe alcohol was a factor in the crash but it was too early to say if the teenage driver would face charges.

The Herald understands the driver had worked a nightshift and witnesses say he may have veered off the road after falling asleep, as the impact appeared to have occurred in the cycle lane.


{{{{Big Hugs}}}} to your friends in NZ, I hope they'll be well and heal quickly. My heart goes out to them.

I hope theperson who hit them was charged and thrown in jail. arrrgh!

Jennifer

[wannaduacentury]

Three of my club riders were hit in spring in nearly the same fashion, except it was an inattentive mother reprimanding her children and not looking where she was going. grrrrrr! One of the guys had to be lifeflighted to a major trauma ctr. He is fine now. :eek: jenn

[coyote]

Sorry to hear about your friends...sending good thoughts to you all.

[onimity]

Hi RR,

I hope that your friends are doing better and heal quickly. I also hope that the driver is held accountable for his actions.

Three bikes were hit by one driver here a week or so ago, they were on a cross-country charity ride and hit by a man in an SUV. They've charged him with DUI & he was also unlicensed & uninsured. Luckily the riders here were not injured so badly. It was really sad, the local paper had run a story on their charity effort and the next day another story about them being hit.

Anne

[RoadRaven]

Firstly thank you everyone for your kind thoughts.

Anne... glad to hear your three locals excaped so lightly. :)

Here is an update...

Jo was out of hospital early in the week... she is the one that ended up in the middle of the road.

Shona was supposed to be released from hospital on Friday, but her husband, Ray is still in there.



Although not official (this information is from a cyclist who works with a friend of the driver) it seems this boy was not sleepy from night shift. He had been out drinking all night. He had made lots of right choices... he called a taxi, but the driver threw him out of the taxi. He called the police - who said they were not a taxi service. He called his mate for a lift, but his mate said "no, I am still too drunk to drive".

Then he made a bad choice, he walked back to his car, got in, drove and fell asleep at the wheel.

[RoadRaven]

Update...

Saw Jo yesterday... she came to the club race to watch
She's the one that ended up in the middle of the road and whose bike was under the car

Had a brief chat with her, and she seems to be doing well.
The doctors have told her 3 months for full recovery - Shona and Ray are going to take longer.

She has been back on a bike - but off-road on a mtn bike on a bike path. She has also been told off by her physio for over-doing it in water-aerobics. So all sounds good for her - better than I expected really.

Roll on our velodrome which should be built inside two years. It would be an ideal place for people like Jo as they build up confidence and fitness on a bike again - no cars in a velodrome!

Thanks again for all your thoughts when I first posted this. Jo was saying she has had so much support from club members she has been a little overwhelmed.

She has the victim support people coming for an interview today, to see how this has affected her. She says that one thing she is going to tell them is how this crash did not just affect the people in it. She wants them to be aware of how it has affected the whole of the club, and possibly non-club cyclists in the Bay. People in the club have changed routes, have followed training riders in cars, and worry constantly about their partners and children when those family members are out for a ride.

Crashes and altercations with cars are expected - but not on a quiet Sunday morning in the cycling lane on a straight clear piece of road...

Just thought I'd let you know that Jo is doing ok and progressing well.

[crazycanuck]

Aha..I thought about these folks the other day and wondered if one of the Hawke''s bay papers would have more info. Thanks for the update!

I do hope the victim support folks listen to Jo and when the case goes to court, eventually encourage NZ drivers to pay attention to cyclists etc etc..No idea how it all works...

If we ever moved back to NZ, it would have to be to Christchurch as I would never cycle in Auckland again!

What about Shona & Ray?? How are they fairing??

C

[RoadRaven]

Thanks for asking, CC
I'm not really sure how Shona and Ray are - there was head injury for Ray, but all I really know is what Jo told me - that her healing would be about 3 months, but Shona and Ray's would be longer.

I agree about Auckland, unless you were able to get well out "on the edge of town" I don't think I'd want to cycle there much at all.

Christchurch would be nice though - lots of open spaces like here in HB - if you did come back you'd be better to choose the Bay I reckon - similar weather to Christchurch, yes, but we have more of it (the good days) than down south.

[RoadRaven]

Well, Shona and Ray were at the race last Saturday on marshalling duty... I saw them when I signed in before the race.

Shona still has her neck in a brace but was chirpy and chatty and giving encouraging advice and suggestions.

Ray was sitting there but his hand was shaking as when he spoke he was subdued. Very disconcerting to see two such vibrant people this way.

I don't know what has happened with the kid who had too much to drink and altered their lives forever by cleaning them up off the road with his car, but I really wanted to hurt him on Saturday. Hold his head tight, force him to look at Ray and Shona and yell obscenely in his ear...


"LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE YOU DONE IDIOT CHILD.
JUST LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE"

[DirtDiva]

I remember reading about that accident on Stuff. I didn't realise you knew the poor folk that got hit. :(

[RoadRaven]

Yeah Diva, its somehow hits you harder when you know the person.

I feel sick and angry whenever I read about careless driving and cyclist endangerment/injury/death because of it... but knowing these people and seeing them Jo a few weeks ago, and Shona and Ray at the weekend, well, I just feel all "riled up" over again.

Shona and Jo are vet women I race with in age-graded races... and they are so much better than me riding in national comps etc. I can only aspire to one day be as good as they have been and only hope that this crash does not put them off road racing all together, because they both have dedication, grit and talent.

[IFjane]

RR, please send them a healing hug for me! What a horrid thing to happen. I just read this thread and am so sorry.

[RoadRaven]

Will do, Jane
Thanks

I hadn't thought to post it til today, but at the end of september when we had our Club Champs TT, both Shona and Ray turned up... on their bikes.
Ray's was an upright, and I didn't notice him til after the race (with my glazed and tired vision)... but I after I finished I also saw Shona there, in her TT gear including the aero helmet - but in her neck-brace.

She didn't register for the race, as her name wasn't in the results, and although I didn't catch up with her, I think she rode the course!

So impressed.

I do have to catch up with all three and let them know about the positive responses from TE members
Thank you all who have read this thread and even though you may not have posted, have sent warm thoughts their way...

[RoadRaven]

Just another update - catching up on the posts since last month has made me realise we often hear the "bad stuff" and media don't keep updating on long term "good stuff"

So... Shona and Jo have been along to a few selected club races. Sometimes registering and getting a result, sometimes sitting in with a bunch just to ride the course at race pace.

But the great news is that about 3 weeks ago Ray was finally cleared for driving a car! At last, he has that freedom and independance again.

[lph]

I didn't see this before now! That's so great that things are going well with your friends again. We do need to hear the good stuff sometimes.