Bicyclist Struck In West Hartford
By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY | Courant Staff Writer
9:49 AM EDT, September 26, 2008
WEST HARTFORD - A bicyclist and vehicle collided at Boulevard and Whiting Lane this morning. The accident was reported shortly after 8 a.m., police said.
The extent of the injuries of the male bicyclist -- an adult -- was not clear. According to a report from the scene, the bicyclist was conscious but dazed.
Police were continuing their investigation.
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Is this anyone we know?
13 comments:
Dude - that's a few blocks from my apartment. I'll keep them in my prayers. Not a good start for the weekend.
Simulpost! I bet its someone I pass everyday on the way to work. I hope dazed is the extent of their injuries.
update:
WEST HARTFORD - Police are investigating an accident during which a car struck a bicyclist this morning.
The bicyclist -- a man in his 40s -- sustained minor injuries in the collision, which occurred at the intersection of Boulevard and Whiting Lane shortly after 8 a.m., police said. He was transported to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center with cuts on his leg, Capt. Bill Erickson said.
The bicycle was traveling east on Boulevard and the car, a Honda Civic, was traveling south on Whiting Lane at the time of the collision, Erickson said. The driver had stopped at the stop sign but had begun to drive again., he said.
It wasn't clear if the rainy weather was a factor, Erickson said. The bicycle had a flashing headlight operating at the time.
The driver is expected to be charged with failure to yield at a stop sign, he said.
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Does anyone know when that new 3 foot rule that the CGA passed is going into effect? I heard Oct 1, so I guess it wouldn't apply here.
So the driver stopped at the light and turned onto Boulevard and hit the bicyclist traveling east. Assuming the rider was on the correct side of the road it would mean the driver began moving after the stop sign and ran right into the bicyclist traveling on the opposite side of the road! It seems that either they pulled right in front of them or ran them down from behind. At least it seems the police made the correct call in this case. Good to see and glad the cyclist is ok. Perhaps when we find out who they were we could get a few comments.
I would also note for those who dont know this area the stretch of Boulevard that Whiting intersects is perfectly straight, perfectly flat, and has good visibility for at least a 1/4 mile looking east and 1/2 mile looking west (where the cyclist was coming from).
it's not flat. it's a steady descent from plymouth to prospect. nonetheless, visibility is quite good there if you're eyes aren't shut or you're not talking on the phone.
It does drop about 50/60 feet in elevation between Plymouth and where Boulevard flattens out down around South Highland so I guess its not perfectly flat, but it is not something that obstructs visibility and the bicyclist was in that case traveling down hill towards the driver which should increase visibility!
I'm guessing that what happened, based on the directions of travel and the picture of the wrecked bike and where it is, is that the driver saw the cyclist but figured s/he could make the turn onto Boulevard and go alongside the cyclist, but in the end swung too wide and hit him.
That isn't a photo from the accident! Karma, you should mention that in the post. That looks like southern Cali and that's not a West Hartford Cruiser!
Dont judge it by the picture in my post, that is a stock photo, nothing specific. I would not be surprised, however, if your scenario is correct. I often have people pull out alongside me thinking we can both fit, or pull out in front, totally underestimating how fast I am traveling. Many motorists dont realize that a bicycle can move almost as fast as they can on a side street or in an urban environment.
Apologies. It is done.
ha! i bet we can all ride faster than cars in urban traffic, especially at rush hour!!
I think that stop sign has a "look both ways TWICE" sign under it. The slight uphill towards the west does obstruct the view just enough, that coupled with the speeding downhill; it is a little more dangerous than average. cars appear and approach a little faster than expected, not super bad, but faster than you think. Bicycles would go faster too, but prolly not enough to be a factor here.
i would imagine the grey conditions and poor visibility were a factor. in conditions like this morning, i too would have been using a headlight. a cel phone involved would be no surprise to me.
whiting lane is home to whiting lane elementary school. you'd think drivers would be a little more careful around there.
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