Police Car Strikes Cyclists in Alexandria

[lordofthemark]

@MFC 189980 wrote:

Apologies if this is a duplicate

https://coveringthecorridor.com/2019/04/video-police-car-strikes-bicyclist-on-richmond-highway/

To clarify that is in the “Alexandria” section of Fairfax County, not in the City of Alexandria.

My quibble is not real estate snobbery – as a bike advocate in the City, this is an important distinction to make, especially as it involves a (Fairfax County) police officer.

[Emm]

I used to live in the neighborhood directly across from that shopping center. That parking lot and entrance/exit were a NIGHTMARE. People regularly ran the stop signs and red lights around and within it. I saw numerous near misses between pedestrians and cars at the exact location this crash happened. The shopping center was probably only a mile away from my house, but I would bike to the grocery store 3 miles away vs bike to this one because of how dangerous the Route 1 crossing and shopping center parking lot are.

That’s not overall unusual for that area though–the neighborhoods around there are very bike friendly, but anything along Route 1 in this area is a nightmare for pedestrians and bikes.

[dbb]

Clearly the cyclist failed to review the Fairfax PD blog from yesterday that said, as part of their Street Smart Initiative:

“What You Can Do

• It is important for pedestrians to know that you do not have right of way when you are on the curb. VA Code §46.2-924 specifically states “No pedestrian shall enter or cross an intersection in disregard of approaching traffic. Once in the crosswalk, drivers are required to yield right of way to the pedestrian. However, the pedestrian needs to ensure the roadway is clear before stepping into the crosswalk.”
• You should not assume that drivers can see you in a street just because you can see a car’s headlights. Drivers cannot see pedestrians in the dark. These conditions have played a factor in recent pedestrian fatalities in Fairfax County.
• Always cross the street at a marked crosswalk and intersection.
• Watch for turning vehicles – look left, right and left again.
• Always wear bright/reflective clothing when you are walking at night.
• Drivers should slow down and obey the posted speed limit.
• Both drivers and pedestrians need to put their phones down and avoid distractions – pay attention to your surroundings.
• When making a right turn on red, drivers should look back to the right for pedestrians and bicyclists before turning.”

More at https://fcpdnews.wordpress.com/2019/04/23/street-smart-initiative-aims-to-reduce-rising-number-of-pedestrian-fatalities/?hootPostID=e5383953fb836b5100a141cabeb99273

[consularrider]

“When making a right turn on red, drivers should [STOP], look back to the right [AND LEFT] for pedestrians and bicyclists before turning.” Fixed it for them. :p

[Brett L.]

Can we start treating having a drivers license like a privilege rather than a right, and implement a zero tolerance policy? You were at fault in an incident, say goodbye to your license. You are never allowed to step behind the wheel of a car again. Everyone is in favor of getting the “bad” drivers off the road, but no one wants to admit that they might be one of them. We’ll soon see a drastic reduction in vehicles on the road, increasing trip efficiency and safety for everyone!

[Rootchopper]

A Fairfax County police ran over and killed a pedestrian at the opposite side of this intersection less than 10 years ago.

[Emm]

Fairfax PD charged the cyclist in the crash. From their report, the cyclist had a “do not walk” signal. From the video, it’s also clear the police officer had a red light, so I’m a bit lost on how the officer can also claim to have the right of way.

[semperiden]

This situation reminds me of all the near misses that I see on a regular basis on the Walter Reed Dr. and George Mason Dr. intersections of the W&OD, even when you have the “right of way.” I am pretty sure they’ll always point to VA Code §46.2-924 if you are involved in an accident.

[DismalScientist]

That’s impressive. The police mouthpiece said the cyclist came off the sidewalk and hit the cruiser even though it is clear from the police video that the cruiser hit the cyclist in the side.
If you look at the first video, there was, in fact, a green arrow for southbound traffic to turn right. With the protected right turn, the cyclist did have a “do not walk” signal, which is also clear in the first video.

[Emm]

@DismalScientist 189998 wrote:

If you look at the first video, there was, in fact, a green arrow for southbound traffic to turn right. With the protected right turn, the cyclist did have a “do not walk” signal, which is also clear in the first video.

I sadly think this is one of those “both people did something they shouldn’t” situations. The cyclist entered the intersection when there was a “do not walk” signal. The officer did NOT pay attention, and blew through a red light without double checking to his right (or possibly checking at all) because he simply assumed no one would be there.. in a crosswalk, or on a sidewalk 😡

IF we pretend everyone is equal, the fact they only ticketed the cyclist, when it very clearly appears to be a shared responsibility issue is just ridiculous.

But keeping in mind that pedestrians and cyclists are more vulnerable, it really is the duty of drivers to PAY CLOSER ATTENTION, and look carefully before they do risky maneuvers like turning right on red. The officer did not pay close attention, and therefor caused a crash.

[bentbike33]

It’s pretty clear the officer had asserted his right of way by completely blocking the striped crosswalk while stopped before beginning the right-turn-on-red.

[n18]

The first video shows that the police car was stopped after crossing the white line, in other words, it didn’t stop before doing a right-turn-on-red. It may have stopped before crossing the white line, then stopped again over the crosswalk, but I doubt it. FCPD conveniently didn’t include the stopping footage.

[Steve O]

It is hard to tell, but it may be that the person riding the bike entered the intersection on the walk signal – or perhaps the blinking hand? It appears the red hand goes steady about the time of the collision.

Someone turning right on red never has the “right of way.” They are secondary to all other users and may only turn after ascertaining there are no conflicts.

[Steve O]

@Emm 189999 wrote:

I sadly think this is one of those “both people did something they shouldn’t” situations. The cyclist entered the intersection when there was a “do not walk” signal. The officer did NOT pay attention, and blew through a red light without double checking to his right (or possibly checking at all) because he simply assumed no one would be there.. in a crosswalk, or on a sidewalk 😡

IF we pretend everyone is equal, the fact they only ticketed the cyclist, when it very clearly appears to be a shared responsibility issue is just ridiculous.

But keeping in mind that pedestrians and cyclists are more vulnerable, it really is the duty of drivers to PAY CLOSER ATTENTION, and look carefully before they do risky maneuvers like turning right on red. The officer did not pay close attention, and therefor caused a crash.

It’s the American Way.

[jrenaut]

@Brett L. 189991 wrote:

Can we start treating having a drivers license like a privilege rather than a right, and implement a zero tolerance policy? You were at fault in an incident, say goodbye to your license. You are never allowed to step behind the wheel of a car again. Everyone is in favor of getting the “bad” drivers off the road, but no one wants to admit that they might be one of them. We’ll soon see a drastic reduction in vehicles on the road, increasing trip efficiency and safety for everyone!

Before we do this, we have to increase public transportation so that people who lose licenses have other options. In dense areas you can survive without a license. In suburbs and beyond, you can’t.

[Author]

Posts