Just witnessed a cyclist hit by a car

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,453
13,747
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www.anyf.ca
First time I am actually on the scene when something like this happens. Funny thing is I was not planing on going anywhere, was in middle of editing a video and got random munchies so decided to do an impromptu grocery store trip. On my way there there was a car behind me and that car hit the cyclist. Could have easily happened to me. The cyclist came out from a 1 way going the wrong way, so naturally no stop sign and kept going. We did not have a stop sign either so car hit her. Saw it happen in rear view mirror, we were probably going 40-50 or so, so half decent speed. Driver's windshield was smashed on driver side and the cyclist was ok, but hurting. Of course when it's early like that you're in shock so hard to tell really. She mentioned she landed really weirdly.

Driver called 911 and I sticked around along with a few of us who also witnessed it. I was surprised how fast the response was. I was standing by the bike so people driving by don't hit it and within no more than 5-10 minutes the fire department, ambulance and cops arrived. They took my info and then I went on my way. They took her in the ambulance.

Pretty crazy to witness that though.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Kaido

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,181
14,613
146
Let the bicyclist hate circlejerk begin...

ajm.jpg
 

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
26,067
24,394
136
I'm surprised they weren't worse off. Hopefully everyone recovers alright, the cyclist from physical trauma and the driver from mental. There are dumb cyclists just like there are dumb drivers.

Did about 28 miles today on the bike - Jersey to Manhattan to Brooklyn to Queens then back to Jersey. People were mostly well behaved.
 

kt

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2000
6,032
1,348
136
There are bikers and there are casual bikers. By casual bikers, I mean those who tend to be on the wrong side of the street because they feel safer seeing the oncoming traffic.
 

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,282
12,797
136
First time I am actually on the scene when something like this happens. Funny thing is I was not planing on going anywhere, was in middle of editing a video and got random munchies so decided to do an impromptu grocery store trip. On my way there there was a car behind me and that car hit the cyclist. Could have easily happened to me. The cyclist came out from a 1 way going the wrong way, so naturally no stop sign and kept going. We did not have a stop sign either so car hit her. Saw it happen in rear view mirror, we were probably going 40-50 or so, so half decent speed. Driver's windshield was smashed on driver side and the cyclist was ok, but hurting. Of course when it's early like that you're in shock so hard to tell really. She mentioned she landed really weirdly.

Driver called 911 and I sticked around along with a few of us who also witnessed it. I was surprised how fast the response was. I was standing by the bike so people driving by don't hit it and within no more than 5-10 minutes the fire department, ambulance and cops arrived. They took my info and then I went on my way. They took her in the ambulance.

Pretty crazy to witness that though.
been there and done that:

 

pmv

Lifer
May 30, 2008
15,142
10,033
136
As a cyclist I've been hit by a motorist. It was a 'accelerate from behind, incompletely-overtake, then turn into you to turn left as if you weren't there' maneuver. Followed by the 'race off like a scalded cat' ploy.

Squashed me between the car and a road-side-fence. I saw it coming for several seconds, I could see the driver wasn't looking, he just swung the wheel left at speed (though he must have known I was there as he'd come up from behind and part-overtaken me). If the stupid fence hadn't been there I'd have escaped onto the pavement (those fences are lethal, they should all be ripped out). Fortunately didn't damage me, just the bike.

I also once witnessed, as a pedestrian, a head-on impact between cars going at maybe 40-50mph - happened right next to me. Caused by one of the drivers randomly swerving across the road into the oncoming lane (I'm guessing, using a phone? Either that or drunk). The driver of the other vehicle was clearly hurt, his airbag went off and he was screaming as he crawled out. Both vehicles spun wildly across the road after the impact. If the idiot driver had swerved left instead of right they'd have mounted the pavement and killed me.

That was on a road where I regularly see broken windscreen glass, smashed-in road-side fences, knocked-over-traffic-lights, and destroyed garden walls, or, occasionally, smashed-up vehicles being lifted out of the road by a crane, and where I regularly see drivers break the speed limit by a large margin. I specifically stopped cycling on that road because the driving is so appalling.

Same road is where I saw a motorcyclist doing a wheelie, and coming off his bike. He went skidding down the road, while the bike flew across the pavement just in front of me.

Motorists are lawless fools, for the most part. Very few of them know how to drive or care about the wellbeing of others. I'd ban the lot of them if I had my way. Cars should be as restricted as guns. No wonder terrorists have started using motorised vehicles as their weapons - it's hard to distinguish sometimes between a terrorist and a motorist.

You do get cyclists who are idiots (cycling the wrong way down the road sounds pretty idiotic), and I've had some run-ins with them as a pedestrian, but they mostly only get themselves killed, rather than others.

I mean, when did you hear of an Islamist terrorist staging an attack by attempting to cycle into a crowd of pedestrians?
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
22,184
6,408
136
Looks like the driver might have missed two of them. Does he circle back?
No need if you hunt in a proper pack. That fellows backup should be going wide on either side to get the stragglers. Even the cop in the picture knew to go wide and give them room.
I'm surprised you don't know this.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
350
126
I'm glad she was ok. Too many tragedies. Cameras seem like a good idea to catch license plates.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,181
14,613
146
Not funny. Would calling it what it is, an asshole comment, be an issue? If so I'll edit that.

I know...right? I mean...hell, there has to be millions of those bicycle-riding idiots who need a good running over.

Acting all smug about not polluting, blowing through stop signs and lights...acting like they actually belong on the roadways...
 

Svnla

Lifer
Nov 10, 2003
17,986
1,388
126
This is why I would not drive a bike or even a motorbike or little vehicle as the Smart car. Too many "absent minded" (to put it nicely) drivers around here.