Whenever I see a cyclist on the road, I always slow down - as you never know what might happen.

I never gave much thought about dodging another vehicle and hitting the cyclist.

I will from now on, though.

And people wonder why cyclists ride as if every car was out to kill them.

A preliminary investigation found a driver crested a hill and swerved to miss an on-coming car.- Posted Link

Involuntary Manslaughter

 I think that's a good point, techie. The cresting the hill part tells me that the passer wasn't simply "passing a slower vehicle." If he was trying to pass while going up a hill, he was probably annoyed that the bike was there in the first place. As a (sometimes) cyclist, it angers me how people in cars don't ever want to share the road.

 I always give cyclists a wide berth.  In the suburbs and country, it's usually a happy coexistence.  In DC, however, the cyclists are some of the most dangerous people on the road (and that's saying a lot given the driving habits of DC motorists!).  They never obey traffic laws, blow through red light intersections, ride between cars while strattling lanes, and go the wrong way down one-way streets.  Furthermore, the police do nothing to stop it.  It's a huge hazard to the cyclists, to pedestrians, and to cars.

techie you took the words right out of my mouth.  Why would you ever crest a hill on the wrong side of the road when there is no way to know if someone is coming?  Driver of vehicle is definitely at fault!

I thought that drivers were supposed to treat cyclists the same as if they were driving a vehicle.  You wouldn't pass a car on a hill or curve.  Am I wrong?

One question is where was the cyclist? Was he trying to stay to the right knowing he himself was a hazard or was he in the midddle of the lane with a "I got as much right to be here as a car" attitude that many cyclist have? 

I have come up on to many cyclist on blind curves on narrow roads where THEY SHOULD NEVER HAD BEEN IN THE FIRST PLACE and had to either slam on the brakes or swing out inthe other lane unsure of oncoming traffic.

If I was operating a piece of equipment or pulling a load that reduced my speed to that level I would have to have warning cars fore and aft.  But thanks to gutless legislators in our State (AZ) we have to let these obliviots endanger everyone.

A preliminary investigation found a driver crested a hill and swerved to miss an on-coming car. That's when deputies believe the car hit Quinn and his wife.

 Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.

Maybe I'm wrong here, but as I understand it the on-coming vehicle was left of center. And if that is the case, if the driver and the vehicle, that he had to swerve away from, can be identified, or a witness comes forward to collaborate his story, this guy doesn't have any merit in which to stand. In all probability, he will be charged with involuntary vehicular manslaughter.

In this case, it may NOT have been the best course of action, but I do preach "Never leave your lane!" Because if you do, the guilty party will keep on going, even though they are responsible for the mishap.

Apparently the only witness here, is his wife that was hurt. Her testimony is the only thing that will keep him from the gallows.

The drivers best course of action, to avoid the oncoming vehicle, was with his brakes, (and stay in his lane) instead of the steering wheel, and swerving. But no one can predict the outcome of that action.

Our condolences to Mrs. Quinn for the loss of her husband.

Spitfire

Did I hear Left of Center?

That makes my BLOOD BOIL!

THERE IS NO REASON!

If the vehicle was approaching the crest of a hill, they should have slowly stayed in their lane until they got over the hill.

Crossing the centerline to pass over the crest of a hill is careless and basically just saying "I'm in a hurry, everyone move over as I do as I damn please."

OK, now that I've vented, I'm off my soapbox.

Thanks,
Threeb

aught6 --

THERE IS NO ROAD IN THE U.S.A. (other than interstates and roads specifically signed "no bicycles") THAT YOU CAN SAY A CYCLIST HAS NO BUSINESS OR RIGHT TO BE THERE!!

the law in all 50 says bicycles have the same right to the road as a car; granted, not all cyclists ride as if they know/follow their own responsibilities on the road, but there are an exponential number of drivers about whom you could say the same -- no one talks about them not having a place on the road (except the fine folks HERE, lol).

as far as i'm concerned, nobody has a right to buzz/fly/sweep/screech/anything else past a bicycle in the road in anything less than 100% safe manner (correct post -- treat cyclists JUST LIKE CARS).  unless your children are on fire/spurting blood, SLOW THE F*** DOWN!

 3b, that's the way I read it, "swerved to miss an on-coming car".

If the on-coming car wasn't left of center, why would he swerve? Am I not reading this right?

 Ok, went back and read it again. Now I am thinking the guy that hit the cyclist was left of center, to give the cyclists more room, had to swerve back into his lane to avoid a head on, and that's the point of impact. Possibley the bicyclists were on the travel portion of the road, because there was little or no shoulder. In that case, to fast for conditions, plus, involuntary manslaughter.

SALESMAN where are you? What are the road conditions like in this area?

 UP DATE  from KRQE.com

TIJERAS, N.M. - One bicyclist was killed and another injured after they were hit by a car in the East Mountains.

I wish I would have checked this prior to my better half going to bed. He rides his bicycle in that area often to get in mountain training for some of the rides he does.  He would have been able to (via me) tell you what the road conditions are like there. I'll check with him in the morning and post on it then unless Salesman beats me to it.

Due to him traveling that area often we were concerned when we saw this on our local news.  What I know about that road is it is a two lane frontage road to I40 that runs through a canyon area.  My better half, if I am not mistaken, did state that there is not much shoulder to this roadway.  He also said it can sometimes be littered with a lot of debris which forces a cyclist to use more of the of the roadway than the shoulder.  It is the only thorough way for a cyclist to get to the east mountain area.  

Most of you feel the same way we did when we read this.  That is two cyclists this year.  The other was struck and killed in, I believe, June on highway 550.  He was killed when an elderly man veered off the road and struck him.  If I am not mistaken, he too, did not recieve any citations for that incident.  

Either way, the driver should have not passed the cyclists unless it was safe to do so.

The driver should also NOT be in the oncoming lane, unless absolutely safe to do so - NO EXCEPTIONS, folks. 

Was he trying to stay to the right knowing he himself was a hazard or was he in the midddle of the lane with a "I got as much right to be here as a car" attitude that many cyclist have?  - aught6

 Here in the NC the drivers manual states that bicyclists are entitled to the full use of the lane, meaning that while many ride on the right edge for courtesy reasons, they don't have to.  And car drivers have to slow down for them and can only pass when it is safe. I guess I should stop getting mad when three of them take up the entire lane on a very busy street. 

In AK, the law is simply that they must follow all traffic laws, but there in lies the implication that they are also entitled to full use of the lane since it doesn't say they can't. 

My hubby used to cycle competitively, when he still had the time, and he would always come home with stories about how he was nearly hit, swerved at, cussed at, and other things even though he was on the edge, sometimes in the dirt on the narrower roads.  Once people go from the bike to the car they forget what it is like. 

I nearly get rear-ended at least once a month because I do slow down for pedestrians, mopeds, and bicycles in my area since we have no sidewalks, and sometimes the shoulder is only a few inches wide before it turns into a ditch.  At least I know that I am doing what I am supposed to do.  Yah!!!

AK'n Outside