Cyclist Hit By NYPD Driver
"The West Side bike path in the pitch dark, the vehicle in question of a class whose drivers are prone to recklessness -- that's a tough one with variables on both sides. I wonder if the color of all the traffic lights, especially the ""bicycle"" light on the path that I believe is at that intersection will come into play. Or the amount of reflective clothing the cyclist was or wasn't wearing.
There may be no criminal charges in the end, but we can reasonably assume the cop driving that truck is not driving a tow truck tonight. Can't say that most of the time about hacks, cabbies, tractor-trailer drivers and SUV-doofuses on cell phones."
Damn invisible cyclists.
I've had more close calls w/ NYPD tow trucks at the 38th street lot than I can count--in broad daylight,no less. There are several places on the westside path where we all do our little voodoo chants and tap the brakes, and for me the impound 'intersection' is top of the list. Not that this is news to anyone, but they come flying out of there w/o so much as a peek. Cry me a river, I know. I only wish I'd posted sooner about this, written the city about it. It's outrageous.
My thoughts are with the injured cyclist.
I think this is the place where a speeding, oblivious cop nearly took me out 2 weeks ago. The security guard at the gate let me in to have a word with her, which makes me think he sees this all the time and has at least some concern. Maybe he can back us up on this- say how often it happens . Anyone ever talk to him / them?
If you would be willing to be quoted in a press release, please contact me privately.
To report the incident so that TA can track them and press the city for improvements, send an email describing what happened and when to Noah: [email protected].
"Lisa provided a link to NY1's report on this. It stated, ""(T)he NYPD has been unable to completely resolve the circumstances of Thursday night's incident.""
Here's a contest and everyone can enter as often as he or she likes. Nothing to buy. The winner will receive one, new, boxed tube.
Rules: In a statement of any length whatsoever, compose a scenario wherein it is possible the cyclist was at fault.
Entries must be fact-based, in compliance with the law.*
Entries must be submitted before the driver gets a promotion in rank (which, in time, he surely will just for staying on the force).
_____
*Hint: You can't. To exculpate the NYPD tow truck driver, you will have to create a situation in which he didn't violate the law.
Personal suggestion: Turn to writing fiction, PR, advertising, or, better yet, apply for a job as a spokesman for the NYPD.
"
and victim is a doctor, who was riding without a helmet.
see NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/24/nyregion/24bike.html
"I know that spot on the bikepath is horribly dangerous.
But what was the DOCTOR thinking by riding at night with no helmet??? If we want others to take our safety seriously, we must all demonstrate that WE take it seriously too. I am NOT blaming the victim here for the accident. But I am certain that the fact that he did not have a helmet is unfortunately going to give rise to ""well, he must have been reckless"", and ""well, if he HAD had a helmet, he wouldn't have been hurt, so the problem isn't nearly as bad as the cyclists say"", and other BS like that. I have seen the threads from those who say that helmets offer no protection, and to you I say ""whatever"". I wear one, always - AS MUCH FOR THE ""PR"" VALUE THAT SAYS ""I DO MY PART TO KEEP MYSELF SAFE - SO DO YOURS, TOO"" as for any potential protection. Riding at night with no helmet invites critics to downplay the role EVERYONE has in road safety. Grrrrrrr. My prayer remain with his wife and family and for his complete and swift recovery."
The tow truck driver that made the illegal turn was reckless. The bicycle rider was on a bike path with lights that should be perfectly safe at night for a bicyclist. Bicycle helmets that are tested for 10 mph impacts don’t give full body protection when being hit by a heavy truck towing a car. I know quite a few people that while wearing a helmet were thrown into other vehicles windshield and broke their necks resulting in Tetraplegia.
The general populace - even if they are wrong- expect careful cyclists to wear helmets. Not wearing one - even if you KNOW that they offer no protection - sends a signal that one is a wreckless cyclist to the general population. And it is the general population who votes into office those politicians who do or do not pass legislation favorable to cyclists. Maybe we should all stage a protest and not wear helmets! Oh boy! Think of the educational mesage we'll send: helmets won't protect us! And in the meantime, please look out for us!
It is a very weird point you make. If I could follow the logic, I would try to extrapolate it to other situations. MOMA has a Dada exhibit going and I am wondering if this is your contribution.
"I think you'd find, by extension, that 99% of ""the general population"" believe it's simply too dangerous to cycle in Manhattan at all. So we should all prove we're safe cyclists by not cycling at all."
The driver was the cause of the accident. Although we all wish he'd been wearing a helmut at the time, the helmut's not the issue here. The driver would be just as much in the wrong either way. Someone who's been injured did not invite reckless driving by not wearing a helmut. Motorists aren't even thinking about whether a cyclist is wearing helmut or not, assuming they even see the cyclist. It's for our own sake's we wear them.
As a separate conversation, we should all wear helmuts whether we've been in horrific accidents or not. I pray it's not too late for that poor man.
The driver was obeying all traffic laws, but the cyctlist threw himself in front of the truck with the intention of causing an accident.
Yeah, that's the ticket.
I'll send you my address. :)
As a frequent user of the West Side path, I have seen near-hits on numerous occasions--not just NYPD but random vehicles turning right--into the cruise lines, parking at 38th-40th streets, helipad at 30th, etc. By far the worst is 24th St. at the north parking lot at Chelsea Piers where overgrown hedges completely obscure south-bound cyclist, bladers, pedestrians, from right-turning cars. Keep vigilant. Keep reporting to 311 to trim the damn hedges! Keep safe.
I too use this path just about every day.
And I agree. The 24th Street entrance to Chelsea Piers from the southbound lane of West Street is an accident waiting to happen. Cars can turn into the bike path at any time the traffic is moving. What is needed is a right hand turn lane with a manditory stop before the turn. Otherwise it will keep costing lives and injuries. In fact, this should be how all vehicles approach the bike path. I might be cautious but a lot of other path users are unaware of the dangers at each intersection. They are lambs to the slaughter.
While we are at it, Christine Quinn's position on keeping the waste/recycling plant south of Pier 45 is another disaster waiting to happen. Unless the bike path can be segragated from the entrance/exit of garage trucks, many will die . If the city wants this station it should foot the bill for an under or overpass separating the bike path from trucks going in and out of this facility. The cost of litigation after the first death would pay for the infrastructure. Why wait till someone dies? The city should be proactive for a change.
Between Betsey Gotbaum's Central Park speed limit for cyclist and Christine Quinn's supporting a waste transfer station with access through the Hudson River Bike Path, I am losing faith in the benevolent promises of female elected officials. So much for stereotypes...
from Thursday (Wed?) morning, when the police were frowning and handing out flyers in CP to all the cyclists with a list of NYC laws that apply to cyclists.
Do you think they're going to go after the real danger, and hand out flyers to jaywalking pedestrians and people who veer into the bike lane while jogging counter-clockwise? Yeah, right. :P
at least it was a city vehicle and liability and medical bills will be recouped. If it was your average motor vehicle or taxi, the minimum nys required liability wouldn't even pay for the medical bills and you would be SOL.
