I've never been so afraid to ride on the road

Yesterday we suffered the tragic loss of a rider during the ODRAM ride. I've completed this ride 3x, myself, and am one of its organizers. I was not riding this year. But the first 2 responders to the deceased rider are friends of mine. Had I been riding I almost certainly would have been with them. I had been feeling envious of those riding, but my long-distance training has been mediocre while DH recovers from foot surgery late last year. Today I am not the least bit envious...and very thankful that I didn't witness the horrific scene. That my friends could continue the entire ride (the hit-and-run happened a mere 2 miles from the start) astounds me.

Tonight I was to lead a women's ride from our bike shop. The weather was iffy and no one showed. And I was relieved. I am so tense...even just riding in a car. This next Sat. is our big JDRF ride in LaCrosse, WI and I'm almost dreading it. A ride in my home state, which should have me eagerly looking forward to the experience. Right now I wish I hadn't screwed up my wrist mountain biking years ago. I totally get why some people abandon road riding altogether. I think I'll be spending a lot more time on gravel backroads. Though I know that is no insurance against trouble. This accident happened on a rural road in the community where we formerly lived (for nearly 13 years). It's a nearly idyllic area to ride. In all the years DH and I traveled those roads by bike we really never had any significant issues from motor vehicles. Drivers up that way are by and large farmers and not the least bit unwilling to share roads with other slower users. We deal with a LOT more animosity and vehicle density where we currently live.

zoom-zoom, I am sorry. That's devastating.

I'm so sorry, zoom-zoom. Hugs and healing thoughts to you, the families and the witnesses.

I understand how you feel. I started a century 2 years ago, where 2 women got killed. We were just far enough back, that we didn't see it happen, but we knew something bad had happened. We had to re-route ourselves and at the 40 mile mark, I let my attention wander a bit and hit DH, which ended our ride. We learned about what had happened in the support van, that took us and our damaged bikes back. I saw those women in front of me, picking up our packets. It is quite likely that we would have been victims or very near the crash, if DH had not stopped to pee at mile 15.
I was really shaken up and had some acute stress disorder symptoms for a couple of days. I have not done a big organized ride since. It didn't stop me from riding my normal routes with my friends, alone, or leading groups (small), but the incident totally made me lose my desire for large events.

That's so awful! Dealing with very similar feelings myself these days...

I knew that I certainly did not want to stop riding, and I also knew the symptoms were normal. Plus, this was all over the news, locally and nationally, so it was like talking about it/seeing it discussed helped me process. I took some short, fun, easy rides for about a week, and then I was back to normal.

I'll be headed to our shop ride in a couple of hours. I'm hoping that will help knock me out of the funk. I've been angry today. Apparently the motorist contacted an attorney and has turned themselves in as of noon today. The attorneys' statement is disgusting. I know it's their job to try to make their client pitied and not look at fault...but they're claiming the responsibility lies in the event (which I help organize) not providing adequate safety measures (like, what...closing 145+ miles of road to traffic or hiring snipers to take out moron motorists who can't give cyclists a safe passing distance?) and the lack of marked bike lane. Because a 6" painted lane would have prevented their client from failing to control his truck...right. Several witnesses saw this guy driving aggressively, even before the incident and afterwards. After he hit her, dragged her a ways, then sped off without stopping.

I live in Lake Orion, and while I didn't know Susan Cummings, this hits pretty close to home on a lot of levels. I've only seen this update from the Freep; do you have any more news?

Our Club, Downriver Cycling Club, posted the following info on Facebook:


This from one of our club members in regards to the ODRAM rider who was killed near the very beginning of the ride this past weekend.

"I just spoke with the Muskegon County Prosecutors office. Letters of concern regarding this case can be sent to the Muskegon County Prosecutors office at 990 Terrace street Muskegon MI 49442. ALL LETTERS WILL BE READ AND ADDED TO THE CASE FILE. The prosecutor's office assured me they hope to fight this to the full extent of the law."

Here is all the pertinent contact information if you'd like to convey your thoughts to the prosecutor's office:


Muskegon County Prosecutor DJ Hilson
990 Terrace St., 5th Floor
Muskegon, MI 49442
Phone 231.724.6435
Fax 231.724.6685

Website: http://www.co.muskegon.mi.us/prosecutor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muskegonpro...c_location=ufi

Twitter: @djhilsonpros


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Originally Posted by ZoneFive

I live in Lake Orion, and while I didn't know Susan Cummings, this hits pretty close to home on a lot of levels. I've only seen this update from the Freep; do you have any more news?

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All of the articles floating around pretty much say nothing of substance. Of course the defense attny specializes in hit-and-run and is trying to make a case that country roads without formal bike lanes would have made all the difference. No, dipschit, your client actually watching the road would have prevented this senseless loss. We lived in the town where this happened for 13 years. We rode on that road all the time. Where the collision happened there are clean lines of sight down a gradual downhill. This happened because he was likely going too fast and not looking at the road. I hope they are looking at cell phone records.

There was a statement that they had ruled out alcohol. I really don't know how that is possible when it appears that he only turned himself in 48 hours or so after the incident. How can authorities even make this claim...?

Makes me really angry about the motorist. When will they take responsibility. A hit and run has NO EXCUSE what so ever!! He could have stopped and called for paramedic. No. chicken $hit!

Ride a bicycle, you become less than a second class citizen with no weight given to your account of what had happened (witnesses of the hit and run). I wish gas price would hit $10/gallon. We have several yahoos near my farm. And it seems to be getting worse. It used to be the tail gating to get you to speed up. Now, they just blast around you even on a blind corner then try to run you off the road. I can't imagine what these idiots would do with cyclists.

Just because its a rural road, don't even think for a minute that its safer than city riding. There are lot of yahoos out there who will drive down the country road at 70+MPH. They think they are NASCAR driver waiting to be discovered...

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Originally Posted by smilingcat

Just because its a rural road, don't even think for a minute that its safer than city riding. There are lot of yahoos out there who will drive down the country road at 70+MPH. They think they are NASCAR driver waiting to be discovered...

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This is why I've always been abit puzzled why some cyclists do think cycling out in rural roads is safer. The open road that appears to be quieter and safer, just gives some drivers excuse to go over the speed limit very easily. I could never forget cycle touring on rural roads where 1 woman was aiming at her car at my partner, to run him down...or approaching drivers who pass a
"slower" car on a dotted line divided secondary road. Just scary.

I personally just find a lot of cars faster on the rural roads....because they CAN be even if it's illegal...just less cars around. The legal speed limit on major Alberta highways is 110 km. / hr. We all know then alot of drivers will push it at 120-130 km./hr.

That disgusted me coming from Ontario and British Columbia.

An arrest has -- finally! -- been made in this case. Let's see how this plays out now.

Arrest made in hit-and-run death of bicyclist

Our criminal justice isn't about rehabilitating a person, its more about retribution and keeping them out of the society. If he gets the full 15 years and stays for full 15 years, will he have learned anything or change his attitude? Probably not. Years of punishment is so arbitrary it makes no sense to me. Will he ever get any training or instruction that his way of thinking is wrong...

Well this is a cycling site so I will stop here. I hope he spends the next 15 years in prison though.

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Originally Posted by smilingcat

Our criminal justice isn't about rehabilitating a person, its more about retribution and keeping them out of the society. If he gets the full 15 years and stays for full 15 years, will he have learned anything or change his attitude? Probably not. Years of punishment is so arbitrary it makes no sense to me. Will he ever get any training or instruction that his way of thinking is wrong...

Well this is a cycling site so I will stop here. I hope he spends the next 15 years in prison though.

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I get that...but there's currently so little incentive for motorists to exercise caution around cyclists. Because they can kill someone with their car and face FAR less time behind bars than they would if they were to "accidentally" cause death by other means to any other individual.

Regardless of jail sentence, I hope he never again possesses a license to drive. Let him get around for the rest of his days by bicycle. That would be better rehabilitation than anything else, IMO.

Sadly, a lot of these people view a driver's license as a mere formality. They might or might not have had one at one time, but losing it doesn't stop them from driving, not around here anyway. And, people who've never had a serious accident also treat driving as a joke - listening to audio books, texting, poking at the screen in their cars, etc.

I wish we had real graduated licensing. Getting people to take driving seriously can't start for the first time *after* they've killed someone. Start with real bicycle education, not the half-accurate/half-dangerous "safety towns" they have in grade schools nowadays. Require kids to take the MSF course and hold a motorcycle license for two years before they can even think about piloting four wheels.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Sadly, a lot of these people view a driver's license as a mere formality. They might or might not have had one at one time, but losing it doesn't stop them from driving, not around here anyway. And, people who've never had a serious accident also treat driving as a joke - listening to audio books, texting, poking at the screen in their cars, etc.

I wish we had real graduated licensing. Getting people to take driving seriously can't start for the first time *after* they've killed someone. Start with real bicycle education, not the half-accurate/half-dangerous "safety towns" they have in grade schools nowadays. Require kids to take the MSF course and hold a motorcycle license for two years before they can even think about piloting four wheels.

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I totally agree...though this guy lives in a community of about 3k people. Everyone knows him (and there has been an awful lot of talk to the effect of no surprise that he was responsible or that he ran. He's been bad news since grade school and grew up 2 doors away from a friend of mine). If he has no license, yet continues to drive, people will notice and report him.