Bicycle rider killed in collision with bus in Mesa

Source: 3TV/CBS 5

7/26/2017 ~ 8:40am. News reports Eastbound Bus on McKellips near Country Club crashed headon with a cyclist traveling westbound in the eastbound lane.

It was approaching the intersection of McKellips with Grand according to the map location in the news story. In a later news story a police spokesperson identified the bicyclist as Shedrick Galloway, 46/M, and said he “was hit when he veered in front of the bus”.

Wrong-way riding is a pretty common contributing factor in bike-mv collisions, however this type where the bicyclist is thought to have veered into the path of oncoming traffic is pretty rare. Another later news story relates that the bicyclist wasn’t feeling well and had already called a friend to come pick him up; so perhaps (speculation) he suffered some sort of medical emergency that caused the veering.

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Phoenix police: Bicyclist identified after being hit by suspected drunk driver

fatal incident 8/27/2016; This was reported in the media at the time but I had missed it.
Cyclist Thomas J. Butler 39/M; 43rd Ave, just north of Bethany Home Road. It’s not clear when police say things like “The bicyclist tried to ride across the street, not in a crosswalk”; and there are inconsistencies in the data file; unfortunately the crash report itself is unavailable from the given file number, so the world will never know: Continue reading “Phoenix police: Bicyclist identified after being hit by suspected drunk driver”

One dead in Maricopa vehicle-bicycle collision

photo: Haward Waggner / Pinal Central

Thursday 5/25/2017 morning. Driver WB on State Route 238 at milepost 43 struck and killed a bicyclist. The story doesn’t say, but the scenario suggests strike-from behind.

SR-238 (here it is near MP 42) is a high-speed rural highway.

Continue reading “One dead in Maricopa vehicle-bicycle collision”

Unknown 2016 Arizona Fatalities

This is an outline of each 2016 fatality that was unknown to me — or that could not be found by reverse-googling — until the database was released in mid-2017. See the full 2016 grid here.

There are 10 such incidents, not counting two additional exceedingly poorly-documented incidents that were also nowhere to be found in media report.  That means that of total of 30 fatal incidents (31 fatalities, as one was double) in 2016, 18 were reported in the media while 12 were not — or at least not that I can find.

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Two more “missing” hit-and-run fatalities

First of all: WAY TOO MANY HIT AND RUNS. Fully ONE THIRD of all fatal Bike-MV crashes in 2016 had the driver fleeing the scene, a felony.

 

“Missing” refers to the database has these listed as not a hit-and-run, yet they are missing virtually all identifying data, except the victim’s demographics. The only thing I can imagine is they are hit and run, and are mis-coded. Continue reading “Two more “missing” hit-and-run fatalities”

A Quick Review of Important Auto Insurance Coverage For Cyclists

Short answer: cyclists who also own automobiles should strongly consider buying additional UM/UIM coverage; this will cover you if you become involved in a crash caused by a motorist and they can’t pay, or reach their policy limits. Continue reading “A Quick Review of Important Auto Insurance Coverage For Cyclists”

Wrong-way driver faces homicide charge in death of motorcyclist on I-17

These are the kinds of upgraded gigantic signs that WW drivers must pass to enter freeways.

This past Wednesday (6/28/2017) afternoon, another wrong way fatal crash and another driver is locked up. “Fixing” wrong way driving can most obviously be effected by removing impaired drivers from the road. Proposed, costly, technological gadgets to detect wrong-way can have only limited usefulness. Abc15.com reports that the wrong-way driver “… admitted to drinking before driving and blood tests came back with a blood alcohol level of .160”

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The Danger of Riding on Tucson-area Roads

Guest Contribution from Tucson-area cyclist Alan Solot

I frequently see comments on FaceBook  expressing concern about the danger of cycling on Tucson roads. Many believe that not only is it dangerous but that the danger is unacceptably increasing. I am not minimizing anyone’s concerns. Risk exists in many activities, cycling included. But, I don’t agree that cycling in Tucson is risky enough to consider extraordinary steps, like only riding on The Loop. Continue reading “The Danger of Riding on Tucson-area Roads”

More Wrong-way freeway driving; can detection help?

Some recent news items. Also, be sure to check out the “cold medicine” guy from a few days ago…

These are the kinds of upgraded gigantic signs that WW drivers must pass to enter freeways.

6/6/2017 double-fatality ~8PM, began driving around airport, including through parking structures the wrong way and breaking through the arm/gate: Wrong way driver 56-year-old Ronald Wayne Mollenhauer killed another driver, Young Lee on  a transition ramp between I-10 and SR51. A third driver was injured. Given the ww driver is dead, you probably won’t hear much about this again. Was he impaired by drugs or alcohol, or some other impairment? Most ww drivers are. We’ll have to wait for FARS to find out which will report any chemical testing results. Continue reading “More Wrong-way freeway driving; can detection help?”

DPS: Wrong-way driver suspected of DUI blamed cold medicine

Cold medicine? maybe, just maybe plain-old drunk. We’ll see. Interesting comment about victim’s rights, and appearing in court

A total of 13 people requested victim’s rights due to the driver using his vehicle as a deadly instrument… During Walker’s initial appearance, one of the alleged victims addressed the judge.
“We were inches from actually crashing into him, and that in itself is an emotional trauma,” the man said. “He’s not safe and he shouldn’t be out in society placing others in danger.”

It’s good to see ordinary people stick up for their rights and hopefully hold dangerous drivers responsible for their actions.

Despite all the hoopla surrounding wrong-way crashes “Wrong-way collisions are not a new phenomenon and statistically remain unchanged year over year in Arizona.”, nevertheless Gov Ducey wants action. It’s nice to focus attention on traffic safety but perhaps attention could be better focused on the vast majority of traffic fatalities and injuries that don’t involve a wrong-way driver? Continue reading “DPS: Wrong-way driver suspected of DUI blamed cold medicine”

This happened one day in Tempe

northbound Hardy near University Drive. Could a bus driver safely overtake a cyclist here? Could a bus driver safely overtake 50 bicyclists here? Should a bus driver attempt to overtake 50 cyclists here?

Out for a Saturday morning group ride on Hardy Drive in Tempe July 2, 2016, cyclists had some sort of negative encounter with a motorist. Traffic would be light at 9AM on a Saturday morning in the dead of summer, except for the group of estimated 50 bicyclists (dispersed, not one group) and that motorist. The street here is very narrow, is traffic-calmed with ped islands and speed tables installed in a 2014/15 streetscape project, and has a speed limit of 30mph. Continue reading “This happened one day in Tempe”

Woman cyclist struck, killed in Arizona City

photo: Kevin Reagan / PinalCentral

6/1/2017 ~ 7AM westbound Alsdorf near Durango, Arizona City, Pinal County. victim:  Susan J. Stanisich, 75/F. Struck from behind by 2nd vehicle. The position of impact on the vehicle (the driver’s side) seems odd.

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Bicyclist killed after colliding with commercial vehicle in Gilbert

5/31/2017 morning, 33/F victim Jenna Taylor was killed at the intersection of Val Vista and Ray Roads in Gilbert, AZ

A second bicyclist was involved but no info was released on them.

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Woman, 19, pushing disabled car struck, killed in Phoenix

Note to self to follow up to see how this gets coded in asdm and fars. Conceptually, a pedestrian was killed in a rear-end collision, a collision a driver should have been easily able to avoid if the struck vehicle had lights/flashers (it was at night). Was the disabled vehicle displaying emergency lights, or otherwise lit?

Phoenix file number?

Who is most at fault? For comparison, who is most at fault in the rear-end collision pictured here, the pickup driver or the school bus driver — the Pickup driver rammed a stopped school bus?

Continue reading “Woman, 19, pushing disabled car struck, killed in Phoenix”