Bicyclist Struck, Killed While Night Riding

[GUNNER]

Topher wrote:

You need to check your facts before sounding so stupid. You apparently have no idea.
Kids in school even know that the government was making roads before cars existed. So the cylist had rights to the road before the cars...duh!

"DUH" That sounded pretty stupid and immature to me. Go back to school,child.

[Draven]

What people seem to be missing , is the fact that the victims and families will never recover from this. THe person killed ( Paul ) had two children who now have to grow up without a father. The driver ( I don't know the name - I'm sorry ) will have to relive that moment for the rest of his/her life. Both families will never recover fully from this situation. So does it really matter at this point if there were lights on the bike, or if he should have been on the road at all ?? So If you run over a dog and kill it do you think " stupid thing should've been wearing lights on it's collar " , or if your child falls from a chair and breaks it's neck and you say " shouldn't have been sitting there to begin with " .....if you answered "yes" to this then hope that you never end up riding a bike , drive a car, have family members , or God forbid , have a sense of remorse .

[GUNNER]

Draven wrote:

What people seem to be missing , is the fact that the victims and families will never recover from this. THe person killed ( Paul ) had two children who now have to grow up without a father. The driver ( I don't know the name - I'm sorry ) will have to relive that moment for the rest of his/her life. Both families will never recover fully from this situation. So does it really matter at this point if there were lights on the bike, or if he should have been on the road at all ?? So If you run over a dog and kill it do you think " stupid thing should've been wearing lights on it's collar " , or if your child falls from a chair and breaks it's neck and you say " shouldn't have been sitting there to begin with " .....if you answered "yes" to this then hope that you never end up riding a bike , drive a car, have family members , or God forbid , have a sense of remorse .

You're right. My apologies to the family and may he rest in peace.

[Colleen Hally]

God chose to take my uncle's life on this night, and sometimes we don't always have the answers as to why such a thing can occur. It was an unfortunate series of circumstances that lead to Paul's death. Please keep him and the driver in your prayers.

[Carl]

Yes this is aweful, my prayers go out to his family. And to the driver of the car also. According to the below URL, the accident occurred across from MAB paints, just off of the 202 Northbound offramp...a bad intersection for a night rider on a bicycle. Don't know if the bike had lights or not, or any other details other than that the car was headed Eastbound, but there's a lot going on there and a bike could be easy to miss at night time.

http://westchesterunplugged.blogspot.com/2007...

[Carl]

Oops, bad URL. That URL about the accident was:

http://westchesterunplugged.blogspot.com/

[Prof]

Sorry Gunner, your facts are as bogus as your attitude. The first paved roads were indeed built for bicycles [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Good_Roads_Movement]. The only other vehicles at that time were drawn by draft animals. The law gives all wheeled vehicles the same right of way. Unfortunately, the law of conservation of momentum favors larger vehicles. Even a 9 passenger SUV can be reduced to rubble by a cement truck. That doesn't make cement trucks to owners of the roads.

Not enough is known to allocate the blame, but that is beside the point. We should try to learn something from this tragedy. Chester County needs to do some serious work to make the roads and drivers safer for bicycles.

[Tshizzle]

Why don't you two just set a time to meet and shoot it out like a couple of real brothas would do?!

Shizzle

[Poindexter]

"Bicyclist Struck, Killed While Night Riding"

What? Gas prices are so high that Hasselhoff has traded the Night-Rider-mobile for a bike?

[Patriotic Biker]

What a terrible accident. I pay my respects to the victim. I also hope the motorist is okay, I couldn't imagine the guilt such an accident would cause.

As for the comments posted here, some of you reflect the level of ignorance that's pervasive in our society. Our society faces two major problems, dependence on foreign oil and obesity related illnesses, but no one can seam to find a solution to either. People who bike are contributing to the solution of both of these problems. People who drive should respect those who bike for reducing the social cost of both these issues that create indirect costs for every U.S tax payer. I could drive a full size Hummer if I wanted to; but I don't....and I chose to bike for local errands....for my own health....and to reduce my personal oil consumption. It's called social consciousness.

Gunner, yes the Interstate Highways are for motor vehicles only, but Route 3 has a wide shoulder and is legal to bike on. Also Gunner, don't delude yourself, it doesn't take much skill at all to drive a motor vehicle. What it does take is responsibility and safety-consciousness for those other motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists around you….and you’re responsible for their safety under civil law.

[Joe]

GUNNER wrote:

<quoted text>
Sorry, but bycyles DO NOT have the same road rights as cars and trucks.
The major roads were meant and built for motorized vehicles, idiot !! Your bike weighs thousands of pounds less than a car so YOU should have respect. You aren't driving, you're riding and you have many, many safe places to ride without attempting to be part of rush hour traffic. Sorry the guy lost his life but remember, bicycles are not motorized vehicles and it takes much less skill to ride a bike than drive a car/truck!!

Hey, moron. Riding a bike is CONSIDERABLY harder than driving a car. Driving a semi, a different story, but a car? For crissake, ever idiot over 16 can do it. How many can ride a bike at speed or on technical mountain bike terrain? Few.

Also, most of the roads in the US started as horse paths, not for military use. In terms of roads intended for military use, the US interstate system was originally conceived as a result of Eisenhower's response to the German autobahns, which were indeed intended for both private and military transport. Note that none of these roads permit bicycles or pedestrians, anyway.

[Mr Neutron]

Trying to ride a bike on the roads in my area is virtual suicide. There are no shoulders, the roads are incredibly narrow, and everyone drives like 70 mph while talking on cell phones.

[republican_bob]

as a former cyclist, i have to ask, which of the two cyclist-in-the-street categories did this guy fall under? serious bicyclist wearing reflective gear including a helmet? or nutball teenager wearing stylish fashionable black garments, no helmet on a bmx weaving in and out of lanes in the middle of the night.

the answer to this question would greatly influence my compassion.

[Mr Neutron]

republican_bob wrote:

as a former cyclist, i have to ask, which of the two cyclist-in-the-street categories did this guy fall under? serious bicyclist wearing reflective gear including a helmet? or nutball teenager wearing stylish fashionable black garments, no helmet on a bmx weaving in and out of lanes in the middle of the night.
the answer to this question would greatly influence my compassion.

Or illegal immigrant on his way home from his night job.

[republican_bob]

eh, still better than a lot of people who dont want a job at all.

not sayin im for the illegals, but i have a lot of neighbor's kids who wouldnt do anything that might result in a callous.

[republican_bob]

some cruel horrible parent might force them to rake leaves!!! the horror!!! the abuse!! the injustice!

[Mr Neutron]

republican_bob wrote:

eh, still better than a lot of people who dont want a job at all.
not sayin im for the illegals, but i have a lot of neighbor's kids who wouldnt do anything that might result in a callous.

I wasn't busting on them, but I do see alot of these guys riding home at night with no lights or reflectors on their bikes.

[republican_bob]

the fat ones are worth 50pts

[9000GONZ]

I hit a bicyclist at night in the rain and he had no lights on his bike. What is the law concerning this type of accident.

[9000GONZ]

This bicyclist had no lights, no helmet and faulty brakes riding at night.