By EMILY TSAO / The Dallas Morning News
etsao@dallasnews.comA 66-year-old Dallas man riding a blue Western Flyer bike died Thursday after a traffic accident near Cockrell Hill.
The Dallas County medical examiner's office said Neil Russell Murphy died at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
Murphy, who was wearing a helmet, had been riding his bike in the 1200 block of North Cockrell Hill Road about 9:30 a.m. Thursday when a 1992 four-door Chevrolet following him collided with the back of his bike, Dallas police said.
The 57-year-old Lake Dallas driver stopped at the scene and no arrest was made. Police declined to release the driver's name because no charges had been filed.
The case was investigated as a criminally negligent homicide and referred to a grand jury, said Dallas police Senior Cpl. Janice Crowther.
This was NOT an accident. Accidents are unavoidable. Running over a cyclist in the road is the result of someone not paying attention, either the cyclist coming out from behind a blind spot (clearly not the case here), or a motorist not watching the road. It was a collision, and it was an avoidable one at that.
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11 comments:
As in most news reports, it leaves one to wonder what really happened.
Steve, I can almost guarantee you what happened. I won't speculate, but there are several pieces of evidence even in that abbreviated piece.
If he had been following the bicycle this was not an accident. There wasn't the stupid comment "I didn't see him" and I get tired of the "he was or wasn't wearing a helmet". What difference does it make?
Ah, so vehicular cycling is that much safer, huh? BS.
He may have been "right" and "legal" in taking the lane, but he's still just as dead, folks.
This is maddening.
Doohickie said...
"Ah, so vehicular cycling is that much safer, huh? BS."
Do you have some reason to believe to believe this man was riding vehicularly? No. Was he controlling his lane? We don't now, but considering how few cyclists ride correctly, and the scant evidence we have been given, I would suggest the evidence points elsewhere.
What you can't seem to understand is that greatest danger to a cyclist in dealing with overtaking motorists is being struck by the vehicle's right fender or mirror due to riding "as close to the curb as possible". The motorist attempts to pass with out changing lanes or deflecting, because the cyclist is telling them that it's ok.
Unless you have better information for accident reconstruction, I'd suggest you reconsider you statement. I do believe, however, that the odds of this gentleman riding as a vehicular cyclist (which doesn't mean just riding on the street) are very low, based upon the evidence available.
I didn't post another cyclist fatality the other day, because I thought I'd give it rest, thinking the point had been sufficiently made, about a cyclist in another state, riding in a segregated bike lane, who was struck from the rear an killed because the driver wasn't paying attention. The Magick Paint you seem to believe in doesn't exist, and I'd suggest you come back to reality and learn how YOU can effect your own safety in a positive manner.
I suspect PM's and my notions of what happened are very similar. The story doesn't give real evidence. From the comments, the scenario by "wellwellwell" is as likely as any. I'd really like to know the condition of the RH headlamp of the SUV that hit the guy.
ON A RELATED note - this is the kind of area the Dallas urban planners want to "discourage" cycling in...
@Doohickie
"Ah, so vehicular cycling is that much safer, huh?"
@PM Summer
"Do you have some reason to believe to believe this man was riding vehicularly? No."
One has to understand where Dookie[sic] is coming from WRT his interpretation of Vehicular Cycling practice. He is a regular contributor over at a sister site, Beginning Bicycle Commuting. On 14 April he posted a entry introducing himself. Experienced cyclists will immediately notice his unsafe lane positioning. Though pure speculation on my part, I would suspect a similar mistake led to the death of Mr. Murphy.
I actually left a comment to this effect over at Beginning Bicycle Commuting, which has apparently since been deleted. (Another instance of fascism, PM) In the event it is once again censored, here is the gist of my submission.
"Yeah, I have a question.
In the second image of your post, you appear to be riding on the service road of an area highway. Your lane positioning is incorrect. Being outside the fog line on such a busy roadway decreases your safety and invites danger.
The proper position would be to move out into the traffic lane proper and locate yourself toward the right-hand side of the left third of the outside lane. Doing so would place you in the most visible configuration to alert other drivers to your presence and force them to change lanes in order to pass. Thereby providing a safety buffer zone of at least three feet."
This dangerous operating practice seems to be common place among novice transportation cyclists. They worry their presence will impede the travel of motorists and thus willingly sacrifice their legitimacy and safety by hugging the curb. Sometimes literally. Even supposed pillars of the sports community manifest this state of ignorance and timidity.
Here is the story of paint fail in Oregon.
http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=10467678
My experience informs me that an "obstructionist lane position would have dissuaded this motorist from paying attention to his non-driving distractions.
Another instance of fascism, PM
Oh puleeze. Blogs are not democracies. The author has the right to keep or delete whatever he feels like it. If you're going to be insistent, I'll leave it there... for now.
Besides, no one reads my crappy blog anyways. ;- P
@Dookie
"Blogs are not democracies."
Yes, for the most part, they are. Comments intended only for personal attack being the usual exception, everyone is free to voice their opinion on this site, CommuteOrlando, ChipSeal and others. It is only BFOC, BikeDFW and your site(s) which have exercised censorship to quell dissenting opinion.
Frankly, that diminishes the value of your ideas and opinions. If a visitor is limited only to your point of view or those sympathetic to it, then you become irrelevant.
By definition, suppression of criticism and opposition is a component of fascism.
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