Incident – 10/31 N. Barton St. at Fairfax Dr, Arlington

[tenbiker]

I was riding north/east on N. Barton St, downhill alongside Rocky Run Park near Fairfax Drive on the morning of 10/31 while there was quite a bit of traffic – one driver got impatient and pulled over into the bike lane way before he should have to turn right on Fairfax Dr., right ahead of me. I had to slam on my brakes – I was able to let go of the brakes and skid a bit, but had to slam them on again to avoid crashing into the back of his car. The driver stopped when he saw the crash. Next thing I knew I was in the street with a broken collarbone. Police and fire came; since I braked and there was no contact between me and the car (possibly my bike hit the car?), the police did not make a report.

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[dasgeh]

I’m so sorry this happened to you. Just to make sure I know the facts, did you ask for the police to take a report and they refused?

[Steve O]

In a different world I can imagine the driver being ticketed for failure to yield right of way.
A driver must ascertain that they can safely change lanes before moving into an adjoining travel lane. This driver did not do that.

[Mario20136]

@tenbiker 194271 wrote:

I was riding north/east on N. Barton St, downhill alongside Rocky Run Park near Fairfax Drive on the morning of 10/31 while there was quite a bit of traffic – one driver got impatient and pulled over into the bike lane way before he should have to turn right on Fairfax Dr., right ahead of me. I had to slam on my brakes – I was able to let go of the brakes and skid a bit, but had to slam them on again to avoid crashing into the back of his car. The driver stopped when he saw the crash. Next thing I knew I was in the street with a broken collarbone. Police and fire came; since I braked and there was no contact between me and the car (possibly my bike hit the car?), the police did not make a report.

Sorry to hear about your demise! Not too long ago, I was swiped by a motorist on country road and landed on a ditch. The driver of the vehicle was too busy texting, unfortunately, I never got to take down the license plate.
On another occasion, I was harassed by driver to get off the road. We had a heated discussion and driver took off. I reported both incidents to the local authorities and it came down to evidence i.e., he says or I say, etc.. The police never returned my calls.

I purchased a commuter camera and has served me well for the past 4 years. In the event of an accident, the camera automatically locks the footages so it can’t be overwritten. It’s a small insurance to pay in case I have to report the accident to the local authorities or file a claim.

BTW, the intersection between N. Barton and Fairfax Drive has always been tough to ride on. I avoid that road since it gets really busy during AM and PM rush all throughout the year.

[Author]

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