Cyclist Hit by Car

[vern]

Accident happened on the WOD at Walter Reed about 7 a.m. The guy who got hit was right in front of me – separated by another cyclist – but I didn’t actually see it because I was watching the timer on the light. Because I was doing that, I know the timer was dwindling down to the last seconds, so I suppose he tried to get through the intersection, unfortunately, someone turning off of Four Mile Run had the same idea. Several motorists had already stopped and were tending to him and calling 911, so I didn’t stop. He was laying on the ground; the chain was disengaged on his bike, but it didn’t otherwise look like the bike got mashed. Hopefully the cyclist is okay.

[rcannon100]

Sigh . That is a bad intersection

* http://www.brucedeming.com/blog/8-things-to-do-right-away-if-you-ve-been-injured-in-a-bike-accident.cfm
* http://www.waba.org/resources/what-to-do-after-a-crash/

One thing I would recommend is that if you ever witness an accident, please stay there – even if someone else calls 911. Please take lots of pictures, get names, gather evidence – tuck your business card into the cyclists’ bag or whatever.

I got popped at memorial circle. One cyclist stopped and stayed with me the whole time. When I went to insurance, he was my witness and told the co that we had the right of way (which we did – explained what happened – basically bad traffic on memorial circle – three lanes of traffic stopped at a cross walk facing independence a block away – light at independence goes green – and driver who is somewhat new to our country decides the green a block away means the driver can go). Got a new bike out of it.

[wheelswings]

When the ACPD brought accident records to the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting about 18 months ago, Lee and Lynn was the top location followed by Lee and Fort Myer, but Walter Reed at 4MR Drive was a close third (several of us were concerned ‘cause that’s where Phoenix Bikes was thinking of relocating). Those left turning vehicles can be really dangerous. I hope the cyclist is okay.

[consularrider]

I’m more concerned with the vehicles heading west on 4MR Dr turning onto George Mason right hooking trail users going both ways on the W&OD (although that’s one light where I don’t try to beat the yellow). Especially heading west, a cyclist can get up a good head of steam on the trail and pass a long line of cars waiting at the light. The drivers may start their turn before the cyclist comes off the curb cut and not be looking a second (or third) time for traffic in the crosswalk.

[rcannon100]

@wheels&wings 117744 wrote:

When the ACPD brought accident records to the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting about 18 months ago, Lee and Lynn was the top location followed by Lee and Fort Myer, but Walter Reed at 4MR Drive was a close third (several of us were concerned ‘cause that’s where Phoenix Bikes was thinking of relocating). Those left turning vehicles can be really dangerous. I hope the cyclist is okay.

Like at IOD, what were the stats. Someone said the other day that there are 4 cyclists accidents at IOD per year. If that is what the stats say, I would say we have a rather significant under reporting problem.

[MattAune]

I must have just missed it. I went through there about 7:07 and made a right on Walter Reed to go to coffee club.

I saw a few cars stopped at an awkward angle on the est side of the intersection and there were a number of people standing around on the sidewalk. I guess all the cars blocked the involved cyclist because I did not see them and just assumed it was a normal vehicle accident. I hope the cyclist is ok.

[KLizotte]

Last autumn at the W&OD/Walter Reed intersection I came upon a cyclist who had just fallen and broken his arm badly; he must have suffered a bad concussion because he seemed dazed and confused. He was heading eastbound on the W&OD through the intersection when a driver also heading east on FMR decided to make the left turn on to WR and did not see him. The cyclist hit his brakes hard so as not to slam into the side of the truck and went over the handlebars. So technically the driver didn’t hit him but obviously wasn’t giving folks in the crosswalk right of way.

There were quite a few other bypassers that had stopped to help the cyclist and the driver remained on the scene but was being defensive and blaming the cyclist. The witnesses who saw the incident remained on the scene so far as I know (I only saw the aftermath). The ambulance showed up a minute or two after I arrived; at that point I left.

That accident definitely drove home the need to keep looking to one’s right (when heading eastbound) while going through the intersection to watch for impatient and errant drivers and never run the light or when it is getting close. I don’t ever drive down FMR so am unclear how the lights are set up but it seems like green and red arrows at this intersection are a no brainer to prevent drivers from gunning it to make a turn while the other side has green. Also, no turns on right should be allowed there either.

[Tania]

I make that left onto Walter Reed from 4MR a few times a week and it’s sketchy as a driver. There aren’t any left hand turn arrows and oncoming car traffic usually is going WAY faster than the posted speed limit (high number of taxis too, oddly). Also, bikers headed east don’t slow down – not that they really need to because they DO have the right of way, but it’s so easy for the driver to look to the left for bicyclists, see it’s clear, look straight ahead to make sure traffic is still clear, start to turn and BAM! There’s a biker all of a sudden.

I hate making that turn in a car and I hate going straight through there on a bike. A left hand turn arrow is needed.

[OneEighth]

@Tania 117773 wrote:

A left hand turn arrow is needed.

You just summed up the single biggest disconnect on Arlington roads.
That and not having walk signals automatically synched with the corresponding travel signal.

[Steve O]

@KLizotte 117771 wrote:

There were quite a few other bypassers who had stopped to help the cyclist and the driver remained on the scene but was being defensive and blaming the cyclist. The witnesses who saw the incident remained on the scene so far as I know (I only saw the aftermath). The ambulance showed up a minute or two after I arrived; at that point I left.

Obviously you can’t do anything now, but everyone should read Bruce Deming’s book. Even if it seems there are lots of people, one thing you can do is to take a million photos. Bruce emphasizes this a lot; you can’t take too many. Then leave your name & number with the bicycle rider. You can also do the rider a favor by either making sure he or she has the names of all the witnesses or taking them down yourself. Witnesses tend to just vaporize, particularly once police and medical show up. Seemed like there were twenty people standing around, but then suddenly they’re all gone and no one got their names.

[kwarkentien]

@Tania 117773 wrote:

I hate making that turn in a car and I hate going straight through there on a bike. A left hand turn arrow is needed.

I totally agree. I live at the top of WR so needless to say, I drive and bike through that intersection all the time. What I also think would go a long way towards fixing this intersection is the elimination of left turns out of/into Four Mile Run Dr minor. That $#!+ show causes so many problems in the crosswalk there and is a friggin’ disaster.

[Author]

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