Last night,while doing my laps in the park and by the way, NOT getting stopped by police for either speeding(above 16mph) or going through red lights (which I did each time) I saw an older gentleman who had crashed, wearing a helmet and lying on the floor face down in a pool of blood, while the EMT's were preparing a stretcher.
Does anyone know what happened here and/or how the gentleman is doing?
Last night another cyclist went down. This time in CP.....
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 6:45am
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 7:54am
#1
Accident in CP approx 7:35pm, WestSide about 78th St.
I saw two victims, both on stretchers, being assisted by two Ambulances. Collision? Looked serious. I definitely saw one bike lying in the roadway.
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 8:38am
#2
Not good
One of the coppers said he had head injuries. What ever that means, he was in a bad way.
That's the second bad accident I have seen in CP this week. I urge every one to ride carefully and(or) get to the park early or late.
Given where the guy fell, just past the cross walk near the Shakespeare place on the west side, he may have hit/tried to dodge a ped, or hit someone pulling out onto the road. I just want to remind every one that a car free CP will become one big footpath.
As an aside what was with the police/park guys driving in convoy the wrong way round the park without their flashing lights on? How is that legal, or even a good idea?
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 9:56am
#3
Car-free
Ditto what Rob said about the park becoming a foot path. Call me crazy but I often feel safer sharing the road with cars than the free-for-all you see on bikeways and in the parks.
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 10:24am
#4
Car free for real
I won't call you crazy because you are entitled to your opinion. But cars suck in the park and no pedestrian has ever made me feel endangered on a bike. Cars on the other hand...
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 10:26am
#5
OK, you're crazy
I rarely feel safe when cars are streaming by on my right, and there are runners and cyclists all crammed in on the rec lanes on my left. I agree, it can get a little hairy in the park after 7:00pm. Imagine what it would be like however if you added cars to the mix? Yeah, maybe more peds and cyclists would stay out of the park but there would still be plenty crammed into the rec lane. And do we want to keep peds and cyclists out of the park because they're afraid of cars?
As I've said, when I ride in the park during car free hours the drive is anything but a foot path. It is clear sailing except for the lower loop where there are cars and far more pedestrians than the upper sections.
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 10:48am
#6
Point is...
... that at the moment peds have a healthy fear of cars in CP, they are never quite sure when a cab will run them down. This, generally, keeps them in line during the hours when the park is closed to cars.
I am not suggesting the park should be open to cars 24/7 but that we have to keep cars in the park at least part of the time. Can you send someone to Gitmo for walking on the road?
But seriously, just be extra careful out there we don't need any more accidents.
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 11:17am
#7
Your point was clear
"Just not everybody agrees with it. I say we have to keep cars out of the park all of the time. That would be great. Your point is somewhat addressed by the routine presence of police and park dep't vehicles on the drives, not to mention all the vehicles that seem to be in there whenever there is some ""special event"" going on - at least on the east side.
"
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 12:07pm
#8
And my point...
"""... that at the moment peds have a healthy fear of cars in CP, they are never quite sure when a cab will run them down. This, generally, keeps them in line during the hours when the park is closed to cars.""
Again, in my experience, this is not true. During the day on the lower loop, peds are anything but ""in line"", they are all over the drive. And that is the only section of the park open to cars at that time. Strangely enough, peds are not a factor in the other areas where there are no cars. The presence of cars in the park only adds to the danger.
"
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 12:25pm
#9
I think the best compromise for the park is to at least extend the car free morning hours to 7:30 or 8:00 am. That would allow most people to get in the riding before the tourists and cars hit the park.
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 3:28pm
#10
So we should keep cars in park for DIDACTIC purposes?
In light of the estimated 1.2 million auto accident DEATHS per year, worldwide, I'm willing to go way out on a limb here and figure that without cars we'd all be able to work out a better solution, and that Central Park is a great place to start.
--Jeff
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 1:14pm
#11
This just in....
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 1:53pm
#12
Is the horse carriage groove really that deep that you can't wrestle your way out of it? I guess anything can take you down when you don't expect it -- lesson: keep your eyes open and know everything on or could be on the road.
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 1:58pm
#13
yes, it's pretty darn deep at certain places. Not fun to get stuck in it. I try to stay as far away from it as I can after getting stuck in it once. Sure you could wrestle out of it (may need to hop out of it) if you are going straight along it, but if someone is manuevering and gets caught in it, it will most likely catch your wheel and you may very easily go down.
Fri, 06/30/2006 - 6:45am
#14
groove
My fiance went down in the groove last season because she was forced over by congestion. You can't get out of that groove.
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 3:50pm
#15
I've crashed in the carriage groove
Not long ago I crashed when my wheel got stuck in the carriage groove. I was able to wrestle my way out of it, but when I got out my stem was no longer aligned with the fork. I went down hard. Like the writer in the link above, it reminded me to always, always wear a helmet. The force of the impact actually cracked my helmet, but I walked away with minor scrapes and bruises. I keep the helmet hanging in my garage as a reminder.
I know personally at least one other person who's had the exact same experience.
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 2:40pm
#16
You can easily test whether you prefer no cars/yes cars by riding a few loops of the park after 10 am. I think you will find that the worst experience is in the lower loop where the park allows cars. The rest of the ride is pleasant. In the lower loop, you cram runners, cyclists and cars together and there is simply not enough room for all three types of locomotion. One must go. Needless to say which that one should be.
Thu, 06/29/2006 - 2:47pm
#17
Exactly!!! (nm)
