Cyclist Hit and Run, Lane and High, this morning « Columbus Underground Messageboard

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Cyclist Hit and Run, Lane and High, this morning

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Started 2 years ago by MikeReed
Latest reply from budser1228

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MikeReed

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If you happened to see the van that hit me this morning at Lane and High- and happened to get a plate number... I would love to hear from you.

I was heading through a green light at Lane and High. A van turned in front of me and wiped me out. So, I essentially ate the passenger side of the van. It was a white work van- there are hundreds of these in the city and on campus.

The collision was strong enough to bend my handlebars and my front break calipers.

And then I was down in the street. It happened too quick and the driver drove off, so I couldn't get a plate number. Not a single motorist offer aid (or even asked, "Hey, you OK?") nor tried to get the plate of the van- which didn't speed off, per se, but kept going- so it wouldn't have been impossible to do so. No way the driver didn't know it happened- I made quite a considerable sound crashing into the side of a van. Lots of folks were around- this was rush hour at Lane and High.

I have filed a police report. I'm going to wait for them here for a minute and then go to the ER. I'm in a fair amount of pain in my right shoulder and right ribs, with some other minor bumps.

I'm fairly lucky because this morning was one of the rare mornings that I left the house and forgot a helmet. Rather than turn around and get it I figured, "Oh, I only have a few miles and I have one at work." (Dumb, dumb, dumb and I know better). So, always, always, always wear a helmet and don't be lazy about it is my lesson.

Anyway, if you cyclists haven't had the experience of being run over by a vehicle, I don't recommend it. For the drivers out there... if you could take 10 seconds out of your commute to help a fellow human being who has been, essentially, assaulted on the way to work that would be a good thing to do.

OK, off the the ER.

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Wow, sorry to hear Mike. Shitty way to start the day. Hope you are doing OK and it's nothing too serious.

Posted 2 years ago #
0Angle
A brewery or my kitchen or my bicycle.
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Man, I am so sorry. That really stinks.
Last night about 9:00, as I was riding home from downtown I saw police cars, fire trucks and an ambulance on High st. They were headed to a car @ Woodruff. As I passed the car I saw a BIKE STICKING OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD! Turns out the rider wasn't hurt-hard to believe... A cop picked his helmet up off the street and handed it to him. I try to ride like everyone is planning to hit me (bikes, too) 'cause that often seems to be the case.
I hope you are O.K. Both times I got dinged up on my bike, my ribs took the brunt of it. It takes a while for them to feel better no matter what. My Dr. tells me to make sure to take deep breaths and good coughs (it'll hurt like hell!-hug a pillow or something when you cough or sneeze) you can't let fluid collect in your lungs.
Speedy recovery to you...

Posted 2 years ago #
asil
Worthington
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According to this map there's a traffic cam at that intersection.

Posted 2 years ago #
Roland
Clintonville
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Hit and runs are horrible. I'm sorry to hear that no one cared enough to offer help. I hope more information presents itself.

Get checked out and heal quickly.

Posted 2 years ago #
Matthew
Hilltop
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I'm horrified that nobody stopped to offer help. My thoughts are with you, I hope they catch the sob and make an example of them.

Posted 2 years ago #
hugh59
Aboard the ultimate power in Olde Towne East
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I was once using an outside ATM at a bank when I heard a screech of brakes. I turned in time to hear a "crunch" and to see a cyclist ant his bike somersault into the air. Fortunately, the cyclist was not injured. I could not tell who was at fault.

Man, I hope you check out okay. I bike to work regularly.

When I drive, I look out for cyclists, but it is hard because many of them ignore the rules of the road. Responsible cyclists are wonderful to encounter; I have a good idea what they are going to do and can drive accordingly. Drivers and cyclists who ignore the rules are a hazard to all of us.

Posted 2 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Really sorry to hear about this, Mike. :( Glad you weren't more seriously injured. Hopefully this person can be found and held accountable.

Posted 2 years ago #
dru
IV
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asil wrote >>
According to this map there's a traffic cam at that intersection.

i'd also be willing to wager that between the CVS and the Shell gas station, there is one or more surveillance cameras at that intersection that might prove helpful if you could gain access to the footage.

the part about nobody stopping to help or at least verbally confirming you were okay is just ridiculous.

Posted 2 years ago #
Bear
The woods
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Holy shit. So sorry to hear this, Mike. That driver should be broken on the wheel, or something else suitably medieval.

Do get checked out, carefully, and soon... lot of injuries aren't immediately obvious, especially with adrenaline pumping.

Posted 2 years ago #
MikeReed

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I have contacted Heather Bowden the ODOT bike/peed coordinator to ask her if they record video from their cameras. That link you provided cites odot as the source. From looking at the camera, it would appear that this would have caught the incident and likely the van leaving the scene heading west.

It would be great if they store these images and the plate can be extracted from the footage, because let me tell you- you have zero seconds to think about getting a plate number, and nearby motorists seem unwilling to help.

Luckily my injuries are relatively minor, but I'm out $150 already and mike bike will probably need a couple hundred bucks worth of work. Most of all i would like the motorist to be cited for leaving the scene of an accident and face whatever penalties are appropriate. It could caused far worse injuries or worse and they guy just drove off.

I'm in the ER now with a bit of pain in my shoulder and ribs.

I'm a law abiding cyclist- not to say that even a law abiding driver can't make a mistake and run a red light or.... Accidently hit a cyclist, say. That happens and isn't a crime- fleeing the scene of an accident is.

Posted 2 years ago #
CheeseFoodie
Harrison West
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So sorry to hear that happened to you, I hope they catch the driver and take his/her driver's license and force them to bike from now on!

Posted 2 years ago #
hungrywoolf
Victorian Village
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Sorry to hear that Mike and sorry about your bike.

Of course it was a white van man....white van man

Urban dictionary definition

Posted 2 years ago #
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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Hope you have a speedy recovery Mike. Unfortunately, motorists by and large are in their bubble so anything happening outside of it that doesn't affect them directly is none of their concern: they'd have to find a place to pull over and walk and ask how you're doing. I only had one ask me if I was OK when she saw a turning car that went into half of my left-turn lane and I hopped off to the side of my bike. Would have caught up to him, but it was raining enough that I didn't bother. Car culture. Ugh.

Posted 2 years ago #
jmak
Gahanna
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Mike,

My friend Jim Coleman had info on his facebook page which I re-posted. If any of you are on FB, it may help to make this your status today:

ATTENTION! anyone who witnessed a hit & run
between a cyclist and a white work van at lane & high today,
approximately 8:50am, please be in touch with any info. license plate #
particularly welcome. also, if a white van with a big dent in the side
comes in for repair, the police will want to know about it! Please SHARE this with your FB friends!!

Posted 2 years ago #
MikeReed

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Yeah... I like to think I would have put my car in park and put the flashers on... And checked.

Of course I would have much preferred that someone follow the guy and jot down his license and phone it in to the police.

Posted 2 years ago #
SusanB
Hungarian Village, Columbus' fastest growing Gayborhood!
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Up on my FB page. Hope it helps.

Posted 2 years ago #
surber17

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just wondering, does this section of High Street have the new "bike arrows"?

Posted 2 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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surber17 wrote >>
just wondering, does this section of High Street have the new "bike arrows"?

Eventually, the only one on the road is at the gateway.

Posted 2 years ago #
10sun
Columbus, OH
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A hit & skip + potential aggravated vehicular assault.

In order for the charge to stick, I believe you would need to be able to identify the driver out of a lineup IF you are even able to find out his license plate number.

Pain in the ass deal...
One time I t-boned a guy because of his driving (he was coming the other way and stopped in my lane going into an alley which was one way going the other way). He drove off, I got his license plate #, called it in, they found him the next day. I couldn't pick him out of a line-up, so I could only recoup repair fees, he couldn't be cited for anything.

Posted 2 years ago #