DC Cyclist dies after crash with pedestrian

Here

It happened at around 7:45 a.m., on the 1800 block of Bryant Street, NE, DC Fire/EMS spokesperson, Pete Piringer said.

A 14-year-old girl was trying to cross the street near a crosswalk.

The bicyclist, who wasn't wearing a helmet, crashed into her and was thrown from his bike, officials said. 

The bicyclist was taken to the hospital after the crash and was pronounced dead there, officials said.

The girl suffered only minor injuries, officials said.

 A pedestrian always has the right of way - even when crossing "near" a crosswalk, but with the girl being a 14-year old I wouldn't be surprised if either party were ultimately at fault. There are bike lanes on 18th.

Comments

[Shawn]

Sad.

[Crickey7]

Tragic.

Interesting that they report the cyclist as having been "thrown from his bike", as if there are bicycle crashes in which that does not happen. A little autocentricity in reporting there.

[mr safety]

i heard that the handlebar went deep into his chest, killing him.

why would a helmet have helped?..as is implied by the headline??

why?? BECAUSE THIS CULTURE IS FILLED WITH MORALIZING MORONS, descended from the idiotic purtian stock this country was infected with at the beginning. Combine this hand holding moralizing with a libertine economic perspective and you get social schizophrenia, leading to social decay. Welcome to 2011...

[Shawn]

The sky is falling?

[Krystal]

Wow, this is such a sad story. How is the pedestrian? you really have to be so cautious and take all the precautions you can such as wearing a helmet to try and prevent these fatal incidents.

[Contrarian]

A Bible carried in the breast pocket would have stopped the cyclist from being impaled by the handlebars. There are many documented cases of Bibles carried against the chest stopping bullets -- far more than there are documented cases of a helmet saving a cyclist's life -- and surely if a Bible can stop a bullet a handlebar is nothing.

[Crickey7]

I am on record as backing mandatory talisman laws.

[JeffB]

Yes - a very sad reminder that, unlike cars, cyclists should never force their way through crosswalks.

I always attempt to yield to any pedestrian crossing the street, crosswalk or not. And if they have already started crossing alter your line to take yourself behind them.

[JJJJJ]

I agree with the above, mandatory chainmail for all. Its the only way.

[Nancy]

These comments are all very funny but not very useful. Looking at Google Street View, it seems like there might be a hill involved, i.e., cyclist traveling quickly downhill, and pedestrian crossing without hearing any "traffic" coming.

I almost killed a little kid who didn't want to wait for the crosswalk to get to school. I was riding down a hill toward the intersection, with a green light in my direction, and the kid was standing, waiting to cross, and I ASSUMED he would wait for his light to turn green with all the other vehicular traffic around, but all of a sudden he stepped into the lane. I only had time to yell WHOA or HEY and he jumped back, but we both could've been goners if he hadn't.

This could happen to any of us. Yes, I agree pedestrians always have the right of way, but you can't always predict what they're going to do. I thought in such a chaotic traffic situation (with parents needlessly dropping off their spawn at school in motor vehicles, VA commuters driving straight through, and with a crossing guard at the top of the hill) that peds would wait for their signal, but you never know.

[5555624]

The only assumption I make with pedestrians is that they will always do whatever it takes to step in front of me. The average pedestrian is no smarter than the average driver.

Recently, I was on a trail and coming up behind two pedestrians, walking side by side, holding hands. I rang my bell and called out. They moved -- they switched places.

You can never tell which way they're going to go -- sort of like squirrels.

[bmeyer]

I'm interested in how old the cyclist was. A kid too or an adult?

[Anon]

"i heard that the handlebar went deep into his chest, killing him."

link please.

[Tom]

@mr safety

"wasn't wearing a helmet" is code for reckless.

[oboe]

Exactly. And on the day that every human who owns a bicycle is required to have a helmet surgically affixed to their cranium...not wearing a chest-protector will be code for reckless.

[Shawn]

Chainmail...and a lance.

[Cap Hill Keith]

A man is dead can we please be serious and not so flip.

I go through that intersection with some frequency and it is a very fast drop.

[SJE]

Sad news. Its also a timely reminder that its not all about helmets. I recently counselled newbies about handlebars without bar ends that are facing into their chests, and quick release mechanisms that are facing forward, ready to be flipped open when they brush past something.

[Angry Parakeet]

The pedestrians as squirrels is an apt comparison. Except the ones with earphones and nothing gets their attention.

[Clara]

BicycleSpace is reporting his name as Duane Esquivel. I know that hill well. It's very steep and there's no traffic light until Montana Ave.

[Kathy]

Unless you were there or can read minds it would be best not to make assumptions. Duane was truly a kind and considerate person who would have avoided hurting someone else at all costs. Accidents happen. Unfortunately for his family, friends, and all involved this was just that, a tragic accident. Duane will truly be missed by so very many.

[washcycle]

If it is indeed Duance Esquivel, it may have happened on a bike he won from BicycleSpace last February.

"When asked why he took part in the raffle Duane [a sign language interpreter] said, "I test rode the bike and really liked it--I thought it was worth taking a shot to try to win it. But I didn't think I would win." He says he plans to use it for recreation, bar-hopping, and jumping off things.

The bike will make a nice addition to his collection which he keeps in a row of stands in his kitchen because "what do you use a kitchen for other than putting bikes in it". Already he had a tall bike, a Specialized Rock Hopper, a Benotto road bike, and a really nice blue Iro track bike. Duane had a slight worry about the wide handlebars of the Humu taking up a lot of space but is sure it will work out."

[Keifer]

I will miss my friend. Thanks Clara and Shawn for your post.

Duane would find some comedy in some of these post but it is hard for some of the rest of us to read.

[Crickey7]

I think we're all a bit abashed by the direction the thread veered.

No disrespect intended.