Norcal peeps: a rider needs your help.

[Trek420]

To anyone in Norcal if you witnessed this collision or know someone who did, please come forward with information. Patrick Shortle is an AIDS/LifeCycle Training Ride Leader. He was hit and run on his bicycle in the vicinity of the Golden Gate Bridge and there are apparently NO police records of this incident. As a former ALC training ride leader I hope the driver comes forward or we can find him or her.

http://oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/aids-ride-cyclist-injured-in-hit-and-run-on-golden-gate-bridge-authorities-fail-to-report/

[maillotpois]

The GG bridge is a nightmare for cyclists - and it sounds like this was off the bridge in the parking areas where there are cars in addition to clueless pedestrians and clueless tourists on rented bikes. Poor guy.

[Trek420]

True, that. It could have been a tourist on a Blazing Saddles hybrid. Those folks are more dangerous than someone in a rented Hummer. :confused: :( Fact is I'd rather face an SUV.

[bmccasland]

Up date is on the website - there were police at the scene, and it apparently wasn't a hit & run.
Mr. Shortle’s collision did not involve a vehicle and was not a hit-and-run. An independent witness described that Mr. Shortle struck a curb and fell from his bicycle alone, and was the only party in the collision.

Still, hope the gentleman recovers quickly from his accident. Bike crashes hurt, no matter how you get them.

[maillotpois]

It's even worse now that everyone is confined to the east side of the bridge. I was returning from the 200k last week, and it was hell. I had a stupid blazing saddles idiot riding almost into me as he held a camera over his shoulder, looking backwards. I spent the entire time yelling at people trying to get them to not run into me. That's what you want - to be worried about being taken out by idiots after you've just ridden your bike 125 miles. :rolleyes:

[Trek420]

Up date is on the website - there were police at the scene, and it apparently wasn't a hit & run.
Mr. Shortle’s collision did not involve a vehicle and was not a hit-and-run. An independent witness described that Mr. Shortle struck a curb and fell from his bicycle alone, and was the only party in the collision.

Still, hope the gentleman recovers quickly from his accident. Bike crashes hurt, no matter how you get them.

Thanks for the update! Can you tell me where you saw that? I checked the blog and don't see it. In the comments?

Anyway I am reminded of the TE ride when Cindysue struck a speedbump at the wrong angle, fell, got scraped up yet led the ride.

We found out afterward she broke her collarbone :(

Tough gal!

[Trek420]

Can someone explain 'blazing saddles?' Is this some kind of tourist rent-a-bike thing?

Yep!

[TsPoet]

The "update" is in the middle of the blog indicates the police talked to him in the back of the ambulance - but the blog also says
after being transported by paramedics to ICU Emergency, in a metropolis such as San Francisco, unconscious, with broken bones
and later
According to James Whelan, his husband, Patrick Shortle, a San Francisco resident was struck by a motor vehicle on the the Golden Gate Bridge, near the gift store after completing a training session for the San Francisco to Los Angeles Fundraising AIDS ride.

The vehicle did not stop, a stranger called 911 and the unconscious and seriously injured Shortle was rushed to San Francisco General Emergency with not a single authority recording the event.

So, did the police interrogate an unconscious man and decide he wrecked his bike all by himself? Did Whelan see the accident? Did the person who called 911? This seems fishy to me.

[bmccasland]

my take was the up-date was the beginning italisized text - and after that it was the earlier article (granted I didn't see it), using italics for emphasis. End result - a confusing piece of journalism that needs an editor.

[Trek420]

End result - a confusing piece of journalism that needs an editor.

That's for sure! sure hope mine's written more clearly

I'm checking with a person on ALC staff and a TRL to see if I can find out more. Thanks TE peeps. Let's not randomly pull over Norcal drivers with front end car damage yet :rolleyes:

[jobob]

It's even worse now that everyone is confined to the east side of the bridge.

STILL !?! Bah.

[maillotpois]

STILL !?! Bah.

Well we weren't for a while - even in mid Jan - and now we are again.

[Trek420]

Still no news from a friend on ALC staff but it appears to be:

Very hard FU fall or run into curb, no sign of vehicle involvement so far.
Confusion on the part of medical and law authorities. Add to that ...
Confusing editorial style on the part of the blogger. :rolleyes:

Sorry for any confusion that this caused.
I might take the thread down unless it's a good place for tails of jousting with Blazing Saddles newbies :p

One thing is for sure this shows it's good to have roadid so in a crash everyone knows who to call.

[maillotpois]

I might take the thread down unless it's a good place for tails of jousting with Blazing Saddles newbies :p .

there's a lot of therapeutic utility to that. :)

[Trek420]

there's a lot of therapeutic utility to that. :)

Which? Venting about Blazing Saddles or taking the thread down? ;)

[maillotpois]

Which? Venting about Blazing Saddles or taking the thread down? ;)

Sorry - the venting part. :)

[Trek420]

We've needed a dedicated Golden Gate Bridge venting thread :D