Monday, January 10, 2011

Unneeded Tragedy

This didn't have to happen: 

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Two cars southbound on Pacific Coast Highway crashed and flipped, hitting a bicycle rider, shortly before 8:16 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.  Two vehicles southbound on Pacific Coast Highway crashed and flipped, hitting a bicycle rider, shortly after 8:16 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. Three ambulances were sent to Pacific Coast Highway and Seapoint Avenue at 8:16 a.m.

The bicycle rider and one of the drivers were seriously injured. Both of the vehicles rolled over, one coming to rest on its wheels.  

The bicycle rider and one driver were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, while the other driver was treated and released at the scene, authorities said.

The two cars crashed near Pacific Coast Highway and Seapoint Avenue, tumbling down an embankment and onto a trail, where the bicyclist was riding, said Lt. Brian Tidrick of the Huntington Beach Police Department.

Both of the vehicles rolled over, one coming to rest on its wheels.

Police are investigating the accident.

The bicycle rider was in the most serious condition, Tidrick said.

RICHARD KOEHLER, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER


I've heard rumors that the two cars were drag racing.  (For now) I'll stress the word "rumors", but here's the deal:

- The sun has been up for more than an hour by 8:15;
- This section of the road is completely straight;
- Traffic is typically light at this hour on a Sunday;
- We've had no rain in days, the road surface was most likely dry as a bone.

So go figure.


All photos courtesy of Christina Ricafort
As cyclists, we are aware of the risks we take when we set out to ride on the streets.  But in this case, the cars rolled OFF the road and ON to a multi-use path - 30 feet away.  And though a user of a multi-use path still needs to be cautious, I believe it's reasonable for them to assume that a path is safer than the street.

All sorts of people use this path.  A cyclist getting hit is tragic enough, but it could have just as easy been a jogger or a family out for a Sunday morning walk.  And something tells me it would have been much worse if the victim was a pedestrian.  Because they would not be walking down the beach path worrying about potential hazards, which is something a cyclist has more ingrained in them.

So since this is my personal blog and I'm not simply reporting the news, I'm going to take a side.  I suspect the rumors are true.  And the people in the cars (and everyone like them) are complete f***ing a**holes.  

31 comments:

Shannon (IronTexasMommy) said...

Absolutely horrible. Keep us updated on the cyclist, please.

KovasP said...

What are the chances? And the drivers will probably get off with a slap on the wrist.

Unknown said...

wow. That is incredibly sad. The odds seem outrageous and the stupidity of the drivers sadly is not shocking.
The reasons that I don't cycle are mainly time and money related but there is a fear in me that I will be taking a risk that I just don't need to take right now with little ones and I don't have a passion for it to drive me to anyways.
Crap like this makes me glad but what if I just go out for a run....crazyness.

Matty O said...

doubt that they will get off with just a slap on the wrist. Someone died. No matter what they find is the cause I think there will be some serious jail time here.

Odds of that happening to any human being are just ridiculously small. So tragic.

Caratunk Girl said...

Ugh. That is so awful.

Allison said...

So sorry to hear of that accident. It is absolutely horrible.

Prayers and hugs from Dallas

Sara said...

So horrible. Thank you for sharing this with us. We all need to be more careful. Prayers and thoughts with the cyclist. My training partner was just killed by a car when she was crossing the street in the crosswalk. It all seems so senseless to me....very sad news that hits home.....I'm hoping this cyclist, unlike my friend, can pull through.

Christi said...

That completely sucks!

TRI714 said...

So scarey to think I/we are there several times a week.

Patrick Mahoney said...

TRI714: I ran past the spot twice yesterday afternoon and had no idea. It wasn't until I got home from running did I see the news..

Barbie said...

That is just horrible and unfortunately some drivers will never learn.

Kate Geisen said...

How awful. You definitely don't have your guard up as much on a dedicated trail as a road. I hope the cyclist pulls through. Scary.

valen said...

sux! we had a bad start of the summer with 6 ot 7 of those in 2 weeks in December. Get your so fired up

Anonymous said...

Just un-believable... yeah, sorry, but you can't plan for cars jumping off the road onto the path... wow... just complete negligence. Prayers for the cyclist and his family.

Big Clyde said...

Yes, just horrible. Cyclists and runners are just defenseless if drivers are reckless. There has got to be strict punishment if they were reckless (and it sounds like they were racing).

TRI714 said...

HOW DO WE FIND OUT ABOUT THE CYCLIST CONDITION AND OR IF HE OR SHE NEEDS ANYTHING ? Do you know Patrick.

Jennifer said...

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Patrick Mahoney said...

TRI714 - I've been looking for more news online but found nothing yet

ajh said...

That is horrible. Good luck to the biker. Two cars dragged on a road near me - the one I ALWAYS run on - and the driver of one car was killed in a rather horrible way. The fortuate part was he took no one with him.

The Green Girl said...

That gave me chills. ::shudders::

Jason said...

That is so tragic and Patrick I am with you on this. I don't doubt for a second that this was the cause of negligence (stupidity) on the part of the drivers.

It is so unfortunate that this happened. And please keep us updated on the progress of the cyclist.

Kathleen said...

Horrible.

Unknown said...

Makes me sick... biking and running is so scary these days! It shouldn't be this way!

Ironman By Thirty said...

So sad and so avoidable.

Since this is a personal comment, I agree with you completely about the rumors and the drivers.

Anonymous said...

Oh crap- that is just terrible. And likely avoidable.

J. L. said...

That's awful.

Unknown said...

Man, this infuriates me. Stupid f'ing people.

Stacie said...

How terrible. It frustrates me so much when I hear stories like this. So sad.

Aimee said...

That is just horrible! What are the odds that the cars rolled down and hit that biker just as he was riding along the trail...it's so crazy! I really hope he ends up being all right!

Glenn Jones said...

Hmm. I read that and was wondering where it happened. Something happened a few years back in Crystal Cove. Pretty tragic.

Lindsay said...

This is what scares me the most about running/biking - we can be as safe as possible but still can't account for the morons behind the wheel. Texting is so important!

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