This October 9 collision was self-reported by Erik Busse to BikeWise:
Riding on 5th in Belltown heading South. Approached Blanchard with Green light. Taxi pulled up to intersection, stopped, and then pulled out in front of me. Too late to stop. Hit side of of taxi above left wheel. Went flying. Landed on back. Head hit pavement. Helmet saved my head from getting scrambled. Taxi driver stopped, witness came an gave me contact info. Called police (911). Since I was able to get up dispatcher said I should just get contact information. I said you mean to tell me, a taxi driver runs someone over and they don’t get a ticket? No response. Later, taxi driver lied and said he had the green light and that I ran the light but luckily witness was there who corroborated my story.
About a month ago, Seattle Likes Bikes witnessed a hit and run:
Saturday night, around 5:30 pm, heading south on the Ballard Bridge I witnessed a bicycle vs. car crash.
It happened so fast I couldn’t catch important details like the make of the vehicle involved, but it seemed like slow motion.
The car in front of us slowed. In the passenger seat, my wife cringed seeing the cyclist exit from the sidewalk and enter the road. The car in front of us was trying to turn right onto Emmerson and halted, then pulled around the cyclist. I doubt that the driver of the dark SUV-sized vehicle noticed when the cyclist hit the side of their vehicle, fell, and crumpled motionless in a pile in the middle of the road behind them. The driver didn’t stop.
Then, motorcycle cop leading a funeral procession confused a biker on Lake Washington Blvd December 4. He panicked and flipped over his bars. Self-reported by Ted via BikeWise:
As I was descending a hill around a tight corner, all of a sudden a Seattle motorcycle policeman came up the hill right in the middle of the road at me. He had his strobes on, and as soon as he saw me (20, 30 feel out?) he turned on the siren. I assumed he was trying to pull me over or something, so I had to hit the brakes as hard as I could to slow down in time. Unfortunately for me and my ego, I was riding my good bike and the brakes and rim surface stop a bit quicker than I am used to. Over the handle bars I went, landing in the middle of the road. About three more motorcycle police went by immediately afterward, followed by a funeral procession. None of them stopped (not that I blame them, I guess, they were in a funeral procession after all.) Once I got the chain back on and the brifters sorted I continued the ride.
Luckily, the three people in these wrecks were not seriously injured.
Comments
5 responses to “Recent bike wrecks: Cab hits biker, 911 says to just get information”
any idea why there’s a ghost bike out in front of the Spitfire Grill on 4th and Bell? I see it from time to time and don’t remember a fatality in that area.
This one? No idea why it’s there, but whoever put it there parks like an asshole.
Agreed. At least there’s other racks close by.
My last two encounters with autos were with cabs – bumped from behind at a red light (with a cop 5 feet away, strenuously ignoring it), and a right hook.
What sorts of regulation, licensing and training do cabbies have to go through besides passing a driver’s test? Anybody know?
nsightful thoughts here. Are you certain this is the best way to look at it though? My experience is that we should pretty much live and let live because what one person thinks just — another person simply doesn’t. People are going to do what they want to do. In the end, they always do. The most we can yearn for is to highlight a few things here and there that hopefully, allows them to make just a little better informed decision. Otherwise, great post. You’re definitely making me think! –Barry