A bicyclist – yet another bicyclist – has been killed in a bike-car collision. This happened late Tuesday – Oct. 7 – around 11:15 p.m.
This time, a cyclist was pedaling west on Hancock Street in the Midway area, down where Rosecrans and the freeway gets all crazy.
The 57-year-old guy ran a red light at Camino del Rio West – and was struck and killed by a Jeep Grand Cherokee heading south through the intersection. The jeep could not avoid hitting the bicyclist.
The unidentified cyclist could not be revived by paramedics. The jeep driver was not hurt.
This is the third death of a bicyclist involving San Diegans in less than a month.
News source: U-T San Diego
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Well in this case (from this AND the UT) it appears to be the cyclist’s fault if he did in fact run a red light.
Goatskull – no, you’re right, police say he did run the light – and he paid for his error. The other 2 deaths mentioned – one was a hit and run up in Oceanside and the other involved a San Diegan killed while on a bicycle up in Oregon, – a weird thing, outside the town of Oceanside, Oregon.
OK so he ran a red light, and that’s wrong. But cars need to be extra-aware because of all the crazy traffic patterns in the area. And don’t forget what a cluster it’s going to be when they do all that pipe replacement on Midway Drive next year!
The whole area is crazy. I try to stay away from it at all costs.
M.K. – How is a car supposed to see a bicyclist from the side at 11:15 at night? And what could a car do if they are at speed and a bike runs in front of them? This has nothing to do with the car. I was driving day before yesterday and stopped at a red light only to see a bike to my right run right through the light. Bicyclists have some responsibility for the problems, it isn’t all the evil car drivers.
Well this is weird. You address your comments to me, but they bear no relation to anything I said. Are you confusing me with someone else? “Bicyclists have some responsibility for the problems, it isn’t all the evil car drivers.” My first sentence was: “He ran a red light, and that’s wrong.” Hello?
Maybe you think I went off on a tangent? Fair enough. But I repeat: there’s a lot of crazy traffic patterns in the area. For example, if you’re on a bike turning left from Sports Arena to northbound Rosecrans, you need to “take the lane” and stay out of the way of the right-turning cars. You, as a motorist, need to be extra-aware of the bikes. Don’t expect us to always be on the far right side, hugging the curb, out of sight, out of mind.
M.K. – What you actually wrote was “OK so he ran a red light…” When you put the word “so” in there it read as if you were diminishing the seriousness of that fact even though you then said that was wrong. Then, you followed that up with “But cars need to be extra-aware…” that read like you made light of the cyclist’s mistake and then put the real blame on the car for not being aware enough. I think my comment had everything to do with the way you wrote what you did.
Now, you’ve gone back to putting the onus for safety on the cars again saying the I, as a motorist, need to be extra aware of the bikes. What does that have to do with what happened in this incident? No matter how diligent the driver was, he could not have avoided the accident that was totally and tragically the cyclist’s fault. Instead of trying to off load responsibility here to motorists, perhaps, you, as a cyclist, should be reaffirming the need for cyclists to obey the traffic laws as cars do. It is the plain truth that cyclists are required by law to do just that and many violate the traffic laws all the time. It just is not always the fault of the car.
You, as a cyclist, need to be extra aware of cars because your life could be at stake. And the final tragedy here is that this motorist now has to live with the memory of killing someone for the rest of his life even though it wasn’t his fault. The responsibility for that is the cyclist’s.
Make sure to put put several BRIGHT LIGHTS on your bike if you ride at night … very important …
I agree, side lights are a good idea, or at least reflectors, and reflective clothing. I’ve turned off West Pt. Loma some times at night and just missed a bike riding across the street I’m entering because I just couldn’t see the bike from the side.
And, obey the traffic laws just as the cars are required to.
Ah yes, it’s OK to mow down cyclists/pedestrians and anyone else *not* in a motor vehicle because he ran the red light. The fact is, motor vehicle drivers are not alert and mow down pretty much anyone in the street with impunity. Even if the cyclist had not run the light, he would still be dead and the same motorist who hit him would most likely be using the same line used by ALL motorists who hit/kill anyone not in a motor vehicle – (drum roll, please) “I didn’t see him.” Boom! Zing! Instant get out of jail free card because no jury comprised of other motorists wants to convict another motorist of homocide. And so the death count continues to increase and the PD and the judge give negligent drivers a pat on the back and a case of beer.
“Even if the cyclist had not run the light, he would still be dead”
How does that work?
He did run the light. That’s what put him in the path of the moving car. In this case, the cyclist was negligent- not the driver of the car.
Major fail. You’re being a troll just to get responses (and yes I’m took the bait). He DID run a red light as the driver was going through the green on his side. THAT’S why he died. Simple as that and you know that’s what happened. Plus this happened at night. This is not driver impunity nor driver sticking up for driver and you are not of the opinion that it is. Why you’re making this phony post is anyone’s guess. Now, whither away little man.
Could be a little woman…
True. I change it to little person.
But hey,maybe the free case of beer is a good deal.
Wow, this got more interesting. The cyclist is was a convicted child molester. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/oct/09/bicycle-fatal-accident-collision-midway/
wow . karma maybe ?