Cyclist strikes and kills pedestrian in SF

[FKFW]

Here is the story from today IJ-

Cyclist involved in fatal S.F. crash was coming from Marin Headlands ride - Marin Independent Journal

[ziscwg]

No, a cyclist that mad a bad decision kills. Even if he was going for the top of the leaderboard on Strava, he still CHOOSES to do that. That could be his motivation, but he still chooses.

So, Strava is no more at fault than the bike company that made the bike.

If there was ever a decent case for disk brakes on a road bike, this may have been it.

[Beancrew49]

Hmm, I wonder if Strava stats are admissible in court.

[ARider]

Strava has a few kills on it's record that past 3 years, I think the others could be considered suicides and not homicides like this one. People will be dumb, you can't change that.

[jtmartino]

Sad indeed. That guy must've been flying down the hill if he couldn't stop in time...that intersection is enormous.

[ziscwg]

Hmm, I wonder if Strava stats are admissible in court.

I would think it's possible. However, the whole proof of device ownership, IP addresses, timestamps and such. It could get ugly, but could provide some circumstantial evidence.

[iheartbicycles]

Here is the story from today IJ-

Cyclist involved in fatal S.F. crash was coming from Marin Headlands ride - Marin Independent Journal

He was only going 35mph. what's the speed limit on that road?

[tburger]

Not sure how many have been following this story. Wonder how many people assumed it was a fixie riding SF hipster with no brakes?

Also, I don't think disc brakes on road bikes make one bit of difference for these types of incidents. An idiot behind the bars is still an idiot.

[tburger]

He was only going 35mph. what's the speed limit on that road?

25 mph. It's a bit of a downhill which leads to one of the largest and busiest intersections in the city. Major crossing area for cars, Muni buses and streetcars, and lots and lots of pedestrians.

[iheartbicycles]

Not sure how many have been following this story. Wonder how many people assumed it was a fixie riding SF hipster with no brakes?

Also, I don't think disc brakes on road bikes make one bit of difference for these types of incidents. An idiot behind the bars is still an idiot.

He's an honorary hipster for riding like such a doooosh

[cornfish]

Read the story in the IJ and replace "bicycle" with "car". It really is no different. Sad and so avoidable.

[irishpitbull]

Title should say "Stupid kills". Not Strava, they didn't for the d1ckbag to kill another human.

[Axe]

How long does it take for a road bike to stop from 30mph?

[Fast Eddy]

Admitted to speeding and running a red in public? He's screwed. The last guy this happened to just got probation for his offense though.

[Axe]

Admitted to speeding and running a red in public? He's screwed. The last guy this happened to just got probation for his offense though.

He did not admit running a red. He insists on entering on yellow. May be the case, but sure as hell he should have slowed down.

[sfgiantsfan]

Im sorry for the pedestrian that was just walking across the street and gets wiped out too. I ride in sf all the time and stopped running red lights when I realized that the peds just step out when the light changes and on a bike, they can be 10 people deep by the time you get across.
What an idiot, I cant believe he posted all that on a website, he basically has no defense now. I dont know why people do this on websites like facebook, or send texts, its all saved and you cant take it back.

[pimpbot]

Here is the story from today IJ-

Cyclist involved in fatal S.F. crash was coming from Marin Headlands ride - Marin Independent Journal

... contributed to the accident, but it did collect evidence. Don't go changing around the headline to imply that he was trying to beat some sort of Strava record. That is just dishonest.

That said, 35.8 mph is not that fast, IMO.... not so fast you can't stop in an intersection if your brakes are at all reasonably working well... and if he was riding a no-brake fixie, that is way too fast to still be in the pedals. If your brakes don't work that well, you have no business going 35+ mph.

IMO, the cyclist made a REEAAALLLY bad decision and tried to blow through the red light at a busy intersection, and that bad decision killed somebody. I hope they try him.

[locoyokel]

He did not admit running a red. He insists on entering on yellow.

OK, it's been a while since I took drivers ed - but I remember the definition of running a red light as being in the intersection at all when it turns red (entering on yellow makes no difference).

Of course these days running a red means entering the intersection at least 2 seconds after it's fully red!

[Ryan G.]

His personal account of the whole situation is documented in the Mission Cycling google group. He dedicated the post to his dead helmet wtf!

http://mobile.sfgate.com/sfchron/db_41685/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=YG08h3rY

[Axe]

OK, it's been a while since I took drivers ed - but I remember the definition of running a red light as being in the intersection at all when it turns red (entering on yellow makes no difference).

Driver handbook says:

Solid Yellow– A yellow signal light means "CAUTION." The red signal is about to appear. When you see the yellow light, stop if you can do so safely. If you cannot stop safely, cross the intersection cautiously.

Seems quite clear that you can in fact enter the intersection on yellow. Says nothing about where you must be once it turns red.

21453. (a) A driver facing a steady circular red signal alone shall stop at a marked limit line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and shall remain stopped until an indication to proceed is shown, except as provided in subdivision (b).

If you are past those limit lines, my interpretation is that you have to proceed.

IANAL, obviously.

[Berkeley Mike]

When I had my business in SF in 2000 it was a ticketable offence to go through an intersection on a yellow.

[imjps]

Hmm, I wonder if Strava stats are admissible in court.

Yes it can

[jtmartino]

Driver handbook says:



Seems quite clear that you can in fact enter the intersection on yellow. Says nothing about where you must be once it turns red.



If you are past those limit lines, my interpretation is that you have to proceed.

IANAL, obviously.

You can cross into the intersection on a yellow. If you are in the intersection when it turns red, you must continue through the intersection, but it is not illegal to do so. Some people say you need to be 50% through the intersection when it turns red, but this is really hard to document unless there are cameras.

I learned this the hard way after getting a camera-enforced traffic light violation in SF (to the tune of $550.) Basically you can enter the intersection as long as it is yellow, but the minute it turns red you are guilty if you cross the line (which is what I did because SF lights are almost 1 second shorter than those on the peninsula.)

The cyclist was in his legal right if he was in the intersection while it was yellow and if he could provide reasonable doubt that he could stop safely. I'm sure there are other ways he can be tried in court.


That said, pedestrians should ALWAYS look both ways, even if their signal says "go." There are far too many people in SF that think they always have the right-of-way, even when cars are buzzing past. The moms with strollers are the ones that really bother me...are you really going to prove that you have the right of way even if your baby gets hit???

[Berkeley Mike]

I disagree with Jmartino. It is different in SF.

[francois]

Such an inflammatory and irresponsible title...

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...w=1282&bih=773

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