Another fatality

[Lynne]

For some reason, we are having a lot of vehicle/bicylce collisions here in Portland this summer. Here's the most recent:

http://www.koin.com/news.asp?ID=3778

The BF and I were riding the same place at about the same time. We were riding back to my place after racing at the track and this is the route to leave the track and head back toward downtown. Apparently this man was doing the same thing we were; had just finished racing and was spinning it out by riding home. This is just very sad!!

[DeniseGoldberg]

I hate hearing things like this - but it's not going to stop me from riding... I really feel for the cyclist's friends and family, and I wish we could just make these things not happen.

And I can't imagine how the driver could just keep on going after hitting a cyclist.

--- Denise

[Pax]

That is just heartbreaking. It's bad enough that the driver hit him but to run off without even seeing if he was OK is unconscionable.

[mtbdarby]

How tragic. But I have to wonder why you can ride bikes on the interstate there? Aren't there laws to that affect? Here it's illegal to do so from a safety issue and cyclists must stick to highways which are less traveled, at lower speed limits, and with shoulders. Maybe it's possible to find an alternative route that's more biker friendly to be on the safe side??

Ride safe!

[Lynne]

While I know the article says he was actually on the ramp, I'm pretty he was crossing it. The road we ride on (which has a bike lane, incidently) would run in front of the onramp. He was probably at the top of the onramp

[Susan Otcenas]

Lynne,

I saw the police lights from this accident when I was leaving PIR last nite too. (You and I WILL meet one of these days, I'm sure ) When I saw it on the news last nite, I was SURE that it was probably another racer that was hit. However, I've heard it wasn't (not that it matters - a cyclist is a cyclist). Hit and run - makes me so MAD.

Another cyclist was hit on Sunday morning, this time by a drunk driver driving on a suspended license. The news said he will be charged with assault.

These things sadden and frustrate me. There seems to be so little outrage over it. If these were children being hit, the whole community would be screaming.

Sigh.

Susan

[Persona]

I've seen a few of these ghostcycles in the Seattle area lately, maybe this is something the Portland cyclists should try to help raise awareness?

[Jo-n-NY]

How sad and my own personal fear as it is I am sure with all of you. I also heard on the radio the other week of an engaged couple commuting to or from work by bike that were hit and killed, driver drove away. Although they were riding on the shoulder of the rode of a highway, I am quite postive that shoulders in that area are pretty wide. It is just a darn shame.

The ghostcycles sounds like a great idea. All over Long Island there are flowers and such to mark people that died in a car accident, smashed up cars to bring awareness to drunk driving, why not something for cyclists.

~ JoAnn

[Lynne]

Lynne,

I saw the police lights from this accident when I was leaving PIR last nite too. (You and I WILL meet one of these days, I'm sure ) When I saw it on the news last nite, I was SURE that it was probably another racer that was hit. However, I've heard it wasn't (not that it matters - a cyclist is a cyclist). Hit and run - makes me so MAD.

Another cyclist was hit on Sunday morning, this time by a drunk driver driving on a suspended license. The news said he will be charged with assault.

These things sadden and frustrate me. There seems to be so little outrage over it. If these were children being hit, the whole community would be screaming.

Sigh.

Susan

Hi Susan. You and my BF think a lot alike; he had some of the same comments you do here. As I said, it is very sad. I was discussing w/the BF that oddly, the man who died at the track affected me much more than the vehicle/bicycle collisions. I know that's an odd reaction, but in my mind the fact that the BICYCLIST could not do anything different to avoid the collision causes it to have a lessor affect for me. To me, it's like getting hit by a falling piano; if that's the way I die, I could not do anything to prevent my death. That's NOT to say that I'm not angry w/the driver of the vehicle. I strongly strongly feel the Portland police should be giving tickets ANYTIME they see a vehicle doing ANYTHING in the bike lane. But, the cyclist at the track-I just keep thinking over and over, "why did he do that? why didn't he look? why didn't he do what he needed to do to protect himself? Winning a race means nothing if you die doing it". It goes through my mind over and over how senseless it was and how very tragic and how terrible I feel for his family. It's almost as inattentive as the driver who hits a bicyclist...you just HAVE to be vigilant and pay attention. The fact that the driver ran is disgusting, of course. Probably on drugs or drunk. Ok, so I'm on a ***** session here, sorry. It just makes me very angry that the person either is a drug or alcohol addict, not giving a sh*t about the danger he/she puts other people in. Or, they are driving w/a suspended license, or whatever other reason they selfishly felt their worthless little life was more valuable than the good they could have done by acknowleding what they'd done (which would have no doubt helped the victim's family heal from their loss).

I am stepping down off my step-stool now....

[Lynne]

http://www.koin.com/news.asp?ID=3815

[Dianyla]

http://www.koin.com/news.asp?ID=3815

Yeah!!!