Monday Morning Commute - Beshot

Good morning

• A new bicycle-friendly gate has been installed at the Water Street entrance to the Capital Crescent Trail. [Photos here]
• Alexadria is looking for volunteers for bicycle and pedestrian counts in July.
• This isn't really a biking story, it's more of an unsafe gun handling story, but yeah, a cyclist was riding along in Herndon when a handgun discharged as it was being loaded inside a house and the cyclist was shot in the abdomen. The cyclist was taken to a hospital for surgery. John E. Albers, 49, was charged with willfully discharging a firearm in a public place resulting in injury and taken to the county detention center. This is why we need to register bikes.
• A 66-year-old was riding a bicycle Friday afternoon along the shoulder of Route 1 in Bethany Beach. Reportedly, she tried to cross over the northbound lanes of the highway in a diagonal direction into the path of vehicles. One vehicle was able to brake and swerve to avoid hitting her. That maneuver forced another vehicle to brake and swerve to the left, striking her. She was thrown from the bicycle and died at the scene.

Comments

[T]

The gun must have been pointed up at an angle as the guy's house is a good mile from the W&OD. I've never understood how people accidentally discharge except they're patently stupid enough to have their fingers on the triggers when reloading or they fail to check firearms before touching them. But blaming the firearm is the same argument as those suggesting all cyclists are at fault for all cyclist/vehicle collisions because of the actions of one or two cyclists whom happen to blatantly run red lights in moving traffic.

[ACyclistInTheSuburbs]

Shot in the abdomen, huh? I guess in this case it make sense that they didn't mention if he was wearing a helmet.

In the Netherlands people ride without kevlar vests, IIUC.

[Crickey7]

Second photo captures the mysterious water-filled ditch across the road that persists year after year.

[5555624]

I don't think the cyclist was on the W&OD. I was under the impression he was riding down the street, outside the house.

[Wayne Phyillaier]

"T": The article only says the guy was cycling in Herndon and makes no mention of the W&OD Trail. Do we have any information that he was on the trail?

[Greenbelt]

"I was loading my gun when it discharged" is sort of the same responsibility dodge as "I reflexively swerved my car to avoid an animal (deer, dog, cat etc.) that suddenly crossed the road."

Nobody admits that they were were actually playing around or showing off with a weapon when they shot somebody, or that they swerved into a pedestrian because they actually weren't paying any attention.

I'd like to know if the police have witnesses to the "loading the gun" story, or if they're just taking the shooter's word for it.

[david johnson]

A close friend of mine was shot while riding his bike in N.E.
There was nothing accidental about it. The shooter was in a car and shot twice out the window striking him with the second shot in the leg. He was lucky to be picked up by the Ambulance crew before he bleed out.
I have had a bike taken from me while a gun was pressed against my head here in N.W.
I hope for the best for WABA bike rangers but I believe we got to look out for each other and let the or rather force by protest etc. the police to provide protection .
The police are armed and trained. Myself I could not sleep well if I sent a "bike ranger" into N.E. DC

[washcycle]

I bike through N.E. all the time and without the training of a "bike ranger" so I don't think it's all that dangerous. But I don't think a bike ranger is meant to be a police officer. It's more like a cross between neighborhood watch and trail St. Bernard. It does not mean we no longer have to look out for one another.

[antibozo]

I saw the new CCT gate yesterday whilst doing the zoo review. I think it will help, tho to some degree it just pushes the hazard area back to the aqueduct. But at least at that point the road is better delineated so it won't be a total free-for-all.

Key words in the NPS press release: "errant cars".

[JJJJJ]

One side of the fence says yield, the other stop.

Interesting delegation of right of way.

[oboe]

Given the number of accidental discharges and shootings every single day in the US, it's a bit rich to suggest that we should simply ascribe it to "patent stupidity". People are shooting themselves and family members. Constantly. And unintentionally.

Imagine if cars had a tendency to veer out of control, and kill their occupants, or innocent bystanders.

If this were any other consumer item, manufacturers would be shut down until they could address their products' safety issues.

http://cuzgunssavelives.tumblr.com/
http://accidentalgunshots.tumblr.com/

[DaveS]

I'm not too excited / worried about the errant large vehicle obstacle course, but I'm REALLY GLAD to see NPS recognizing a situation that could be improved and doing something about it. Far too many stories involving bikes (or common locations for riding them) and NPS don't conclude that well if at all.

DDOT (well, one particular bike / ped planner there) has acknowledged that there's a shortcoming in the Water & Wisconsin intersection traffic controls. A lot of the traffic turning west/right on Water seems unaware that it's a cul-de-sac, and can be seen driving all the way down looking for an outlet and then returning. There are signs, they seem clear enough, but apparently they're not sufficient.

Now if we can get the various DC agencies on the same page about fixing the perpetual water feature just east of this gate, THAT will be something...

[SJE]

Man operating gun unintentionally shoots cyclist, is immediately charged by police.

Man operating car unintentionally runs over cyclist.......

[SJE]

re CCT gate: as the cyclist is leaving the CCT, there is a warning sign that says, among other things, to "yield to traffic". This is completely contradictory to the DC traffic code.

[MLD]

@SJE
Why is it contradictory?