Bike Lanes are Death Traps (day 44)

"Bicyclist killed after falling in front of truck"
BY MELISSA GRACE and TINA MOORE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Wednesday, December 5th 2007, 2:15 PM
A 63-year-old man bicycling in midtown Manhattan Wednesday morning hit a car door and flipped into the street before he was run over and killed by a box truck, police said.
The man, whose identity wasn't immediately released, was not wearing a helmet, a police source said.
A pool of blood remained in the left-hand lane of 6th Ave. between W. 36 and W. 37th after the accident around 9 a.m.
"He was alive for a few minutes. In fact, he was trying to get up," a female security guard in a nearby office building said.
A police officer at the scene said he talked to the bicyclist right after he was struck.
"At first, he was responsive," the cop said, explaining that the man nodded his head and was responding to basic questions, even providing his name. "He was shaking his head yes. He was bleeding from the head."
A concierge in a nearby building said rescuers tried to resuscitate the man with CPR.
"He was blue, they were trying to resuscitate him all the way into the ambulance," he said.
The Ace Hardware truck that hit the man stayed at the scene. There were no charges, cops said.
The man was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

Be aware. Wear a helmet. Illuminate yourself. Ride safely.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• manhattan
• cyclist
• killed
• after
• falling
• in
• front
• of
• truck
• 6th
• avenue
• 37th
• street

[downfader2]

TBH I find it hard to blame the truck driver - unless he was in the cycle lane. The guy that flipped the door open is to blame and should have received some kind of charge.

There are a lot of people that think "dooring" is funny. Just tell them that its the same force as being hit with a baseball bat and ask them if thats funny

[citizenbybike]

I agree, though I find it hard to blame either party more than the city planning committee that engineered the road system. A baseball bat to the rib has happened to me, so I know what you're saying.

[BEACHSURF]

You mean the car driver carelessly pushed his door into the innocent cyclist and then the careless corrupt cop failed to arrest the car driver for causing the death of the cyclist ! And then the policeman was carelesslly undisciplined for failing to arrest and charge the car driver and the truck driver !

[citizenbybike]

exactly.

[tmpttt1]

about the video description: the shithead who opened the car door should be jailed for murder!!!

[seanp471]

the driver of the car should be charged with involuntary manslaughter and the truck driver should just receive a fine. The driver should have looked first to at least see if anything was coming... like a car that could take his door off. Then he might have seen the bike.

[RsDhavy]

Look i'm 17 years old and don't drive a car yet but to the people who do drive, please respect the bikers? Everyone is caring about the global shit but if you drive ur car gj be happpy there are people who drive there bikes ... and some of you guys with cars are idiots and think they are the boss if they drive a car no you are not you are just a normal human like anybody else...put urself on a bike drive true down and see i will take you 1 min to almost get hitted by a car. Thanks - Dhavy

[corpeedo]

@fiofodiveia agreed. i live in beautifull Amsterdam, and cyclists rule. cycle lanes everywhere. we even have traffic lights for the cycle lanes. its brilliant. never a worry for doors opening on us! peace!

[belfast479]

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[fiofodiveia]

Big cities around the world in general are sick. However you guys are a lot behind cities like Amsterdam and Paris where there's still some humanistic feeling floating around.

[labyonnette]

Saw a sign in the back of a car today, said "Give blood" kill a cyclist. Right on mate.

[Nomasain]

@FatRakoon So true, we're not programmed to crash on purpose. This said, in 2 occasions I automatically swerved into oncoming traffic (nothing happened). If possible I like to change this response in braking & pushing the horn...

[FatRakoon]

@Nomasain I agree with you to a point. I always say to myself that when a door flies open, I wont swerve, but its happenbed a few times and I have ALWAYS swerved because its a reaction... Plus I wonder how I would feel if I did it one day and I killed a child?

Its easier said than done.

[Nomasain]

To all motorists; if you have to swerve for another motorist who opens the door without looking, DON'T SWERVE, BUT KNOCK THE DOOR OFF. No one gets hurt, your car will sustain little to no damage, and the bad motorist has learned a lesson.

Or plan B (bicycles as well), brake and block the door opening. The idiot cannot get out and has no other choice then to close the door again and give right of way.

[loammo2bl]

Come to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and see our "dooring" potential and Central Michigan University students potential student bicycle traps: all ready for engineering graduates to compare to road bike lanes to death traps; but I was doored right on Main Street and Mosher St. so who needs a bike lane to get killed on Mission Street Isabella county; try our circle rounds for alternate killing lanes; how is that Manhattan N. Y. - you don't have it all after all Peter Anthony Reale, Ed.S