SUV on the W&OD

[huskerdont]

@btj 141357 wrote:

Came upon this person driving on the W&OD today (Monday June 13, 2016 W&OD in Vienna, VA between Branch Rd SE and Electric Ave around 2:50pm). Not sure where this person got on or eventually got off of the trail but when I caught up to her you can see a kind pedestrian leading her out…

It’s always the SUVs, the kind of car people who can’t drive gravitate to for protection. Anyone proven unable to drive (a certain number of crashes or points) should be forced to drive a tiny Smart Car until they are so afraid they learn how to be safe.

When that thing left you behind for a while, it was flying. Truly scary.

[DrP]

I hope you are sending this video to the proper authorities (not sure who that it for the W&OD – local police or NVRPA). At a minimum this person deserves a ticket. Sure it was (likely) a mistake, but that still isn’t legal.

[bobco85]

I tweeted the video link to Fairfax Co. police, FABB, and the town of Vienna, so hopefully word will spread and something will get done.

It’s not the same stretch of the W&OD trail (it’s pretty close, though), but remember these incidents:

• Drunk driver on W&OD hospitalizing a cyclist – https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/suspected-drunk-driver-hits-bicyclist-on-trail-in-virginia/2013/06/02/0a767e04-cbac-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html
• Yet another driver on the W&OD trail in Vienna – http://patch.com/virginia/vienna/car-travels-the-w-od-trail-again

[VA2DC]

@huskerdont 141362 wrote:

It’s always the SUVs, the kind of car people who can’t drive gravitate to for protection.

So true. One evening after dark last winter heading home northbound on the MVT, I saw two lights headed toward me on the stretch between 14th St Bridge and Memorial Bridge. I thought it was just two bikes side-by-side and that they’d line up single file once they spotted my light heading toward them. The lights didn’t converge, and once I got close enough, I saw it was an SUV headed straight towards me. I hopped on the grass as it drove past me. I was so flabbergasted that I didn’t think to chase it to get a license number or a picture. I have no idea how it even got down there.

[FFX_Hinterlands]

@bobco85 141370 wrote:

I tweeted the video link to Fairfax Co. police, FABB, and the town of Vienna, so hopefully word will spread and something will get done.

I retweeted it for FABB but it probably deserves an email to NVRPA Ranger office. WOD@nvrpa.org

[btj]

@FFX_Hinterlands 141383 wrote:

I retweeted it for FABB but it probably deserves an email to NVRPA Ranger office. WOD@nvrpa.org

Thanks for the address, I just sent off an email.

[btj]

Here is the reply I received:

Thanks for letting us know about the vehicle on the trail – this happens from time to time, with the driver usually being disoriented, but occassionally intoxicated. I called the Vienna Police Department to report the incident, but they said that despite having the vehicle’s license plate and the video, they need to actually witness the event to take any action against the driver. The dispatcher I spoke with suggested calling the police immediately if something like this happens again so that they can catch the driver in-the-act and evalute the situation personally.

Regardless, thanks again for your diligence in recording the event and informing us of it so we can keep an eye out in that area in the future.

Andy Kaganowich
Park Specialist – Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park

[LeprosyStudyGroup]

Boy, I wish video evidence could lead to law enforcement action in things like robberies or trespassing cases.

[huskerdont]

I wonder if the reason they can’t take action is that they can only identify the vehicle, not the driver, so the vehicle owner can claim it wasn’t him or her. But that doesn’t seem to make sense–they do it with speed cameras.

But then, I’m no lawyer, just someone baffled by the law.

[Judd]

“Well, we didn’t witness the murder happening so there isn’t anything we can do about it.”

Total bullshit response. It warrants at least a visit to the home of the car owner to investigate.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GovernorSilver]

@btj 141413 wrote:

Here is the reply I received:

Call the police if you see one on the trails, eh? Ok, I have no problem doing that – unless it’s raining – dialing w/ my phone in Ziploc bag is a bit of a pain.

[Steve O]

Right. What’s the likelihood the vehicle will still be on the trail by the time the police arrive?

I agree with Judd. Why can’t the police go to the house and have a conversation and show the video?

In fact, it’s probably worthwhile just to understand what happened. Perhaps it will help expose a need for signage or something that will help keep drivers from making these kinds of mistakes. If I were NVRPA, that’s what I would want to do.

[Lt. Dan]

@huskerdont 141416 wrote:

I wonder if the reason they can’t take action is that they can only identify the vehicle, not the driver, so the vehicle owner can claim it wasn’t him or her. But that doesn’t seem to make sense–they do it with speed cameras.

But then, I’m no lawyer, just someone baffled by the law.

You’re pretty much hit the nail on the head. The reason why they can do it with speed cameras is because it’s just a fine, no points or anything….

[SlopeSurfer]

There is a NYC twitter account that takes pics of bike lane violations all the time and apparently NYC has a process to submit the case and charge the offender. They often plead guilty and pay the fine (he tweets the results of the case too).

https://twitter.com/D00RZ0NE

If other jurisdictions do it why can’t we?

[KWL]

@btj 141413 wrote:

Here is the reply I received:

Translation: They don’t want to be bothered.

[Author]

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