50-year-old cyclist struck by vehicle in Port St. Lucie
August 31st, 2009 by TCPalm.comPORT ST. LUCIE — A bicyclist struck by a vehicle Sunday night was seriously injured and taken to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce, a St. Lucie County Fire District official said Monday.
Fire District crews were dispatched at 8:34 p.m. to the incident at U.S. 1 and Mediterranean Boulevard, Capt. Derek Foxx said.
The 50-year-old bicyclist was taken to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce with serious injuries, Foxx said.
No other information was immediately available.
Will Greenlee
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August 31st, 2009 at 11:08 am
Lemme guess…. The cycle rider just swerved INTO THE CAR and the car driver couldnt avoid the collision. Uh huh…..sure.
The car driver will get off without even a slap on the wrist and the cyclist will be left with pain and bills.
I dont understand why more people dont do evil stuff to other people using a car instead of a gun. Its the law that if you are inconveniencing a car they are a allowed/encouraged to hit you.
when will humans on bikes start to be treated with the same respect an animal or litter law gets ?
August 31st, 2009 at 2:21 pm
when they stop acting like they own the road. How about a licence plate for bikes, same as cars, you use the road help pay for it.
August 31st, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Two interesting opinions. Actually, cyclists do already help pay for the road, though they don’t damage it like motor vehicles.
Here’s my guess; the cyclist had no lights, riding at night. I see a lot of that, along with the wetbacks cutting across the road anywhere. Cyclists should obey the traffic laws and be cited if they don’t.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Hey bill, cyclists do own the road, just like you do. We pay taxes and vehicle registration fees on our cars, just like you do. The fact that I choose to ride my human powered vehicle does not lessen my right to use the road, just as a car. In fact, the Florida statutes give me the same rights, and yes, responsibilities, as when I am in my car. In fact, I have an additional right that drivers of cars do not: I can ride two abreast, alongside another cyclist.
The problem with reports such as this is that there is no distinction between cyclists and persons who simply ride a bike. There is a big difference. Many people ride bikes with no regard for laws, safety or without real bicycle handling skills. Most cyclists, on the other hand, know the laws (even though we sometimes break them, just like bill in his car), and we ride with an understanding and skill which keeps us safe. The hours we spend on a bike necessitate safety consciousness. The real problems, as I see it are two things. First, there is a large population of people who simply refuse to see cyclists as vehicles sharing the road. Those are the people who are unobservant, or who, like bill, do not see cyclists as having the same rights under law. The other problem is that there is a large percentage of the driving population who simply do not know how to drive properly or what there responsibilities are as a driver. These are the people who are sometimes overly courteous. You know, the ones who stop in the middle of the road to let someone else, who does not have right of way, cross the road or make a turn. In being so courteous, these people cause everyone else to stop and then try to guess what they are going to do. The resulting mexican standoff is safe for no one. If a cyclist, or even a person on a bike is involved, then no doubt that person is at fault for hogging the road or acting like they own the road. All we (cyclists) ask for is that you drive responsibly and in accord with the rules of the road. When you have the right of way, use it. When you stop suddenly or try to assume you know what I want, you only make life difficult for all of us. Just drive smart, and I will stay out of your way and you can go along happy, knowing that I am not acting like I own the road.
Cheers bill.