A bicyclist was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital after an accident at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the intersection of 23rd Street and Naismith Drive.
Sgt. Trent McKinley, a Lawrence police spokesman, said the 41-year-old Lawrence man’s injuries were not believed to be life threatening.
According to a preliminary investigation, the man was riding his bicycle west on the sidewalk south of 23rd Street. When he reached the intersection with Naismith Drive he collided with a northbound pickup truck that was turning right onto 23rd Street. The pickup truck’s driver was a 31-year-old Lawrence woman who was not injured.
McKinley said officers were still conducting interviews and trying to determine who had the right of way in the intersection.
Comments
mansondahmer 1 year, 11 months ago
I witnessed the whole thing....the guy on the bike had a green the girl in the truck never bothered looking right while turning she just saw an opening in traffic and gunned it to make here right thats when it sounded like two cars collided and all I saw was the poor guy flipping over the hood backwards and landing flat on his head.....I still hope he's going to be ok havent heard any updated yet....my 2 children witnessed it as well and I have the feeling they will never forget it.....neither will I
Carol Bowen 1 year, 11 months ago
Pedestrians should not be sharing a sidewalk with cyclists. It's not fun watching for cyclists coming from behind. The sidewalks are not wide enough. Walking as a mode of transportation is not the same as cycling or running for recreation.
demonfury 1 year, 11 months ago
Everyone's got an opinion here, huh? Most are based on their idea of what should be rather than what is. Other than designated bicycle paths, bicyclists are required to utilize & obey the same rules of the road as a motorist, period. You can argue it and twist it anyway you like, but the fact remains this is a sidewalk, not a side ride. The pick-up truck motorist in this story is not liable or at fault. The bicyclist is not considered a pedestrian, even though he was on a city sidewalk. Although he shouldn't have been, by the fact that he is operating a propelled vehicle, he was clearly in the wrong. This was entirely his mistake, not the motorist. Unfortunate as it is, the bicyclist was at fault.
texasjustice 1 year, 11 months ago
A point to ponder why do we have bike lanes on the street and not on the sidewalk hummmm?
texasjustice 1 year, 11 months ago
well here it is a bike car collision as we were talking about monday,either a bicycle needs to be treated as a motorvehicle and stay on the streets and obey traffic laws such as signaling,stopping at lights/sins ect.or they need to all use the side walks.I have never recieved a rule book from the police that tells me when you can or can't bicycle on what sidewalks.Your dmv drivers book tells you to that you treat them as a motor vehicle not a pedestrian.whos law is correct the dmv or the city of lawrence?And yes i was on mondays post just talking about this.So all you rightous bike people need to reread that post and get some hints.P.S.thenews just posted kansas as # 34 in the nation as bicycle friendly.Oh yes i do own and ride a bike and i am doing so on thE STREET NOT a sideWALK!!!!!!!!!!
melott 1 year, 11 months ago
I just spent a week in Boulder, Colorado--with a car. It was a pleasure to see so many cyclists who were obeying traffic regs. There were 10 times as many as in Lawrence. I never saw one run a stop sign, traffic light, ride abreast out in traffic, or ride on the sidewalk. Oh, if only in Lawrence....
purplesage 1 year, 11 months ago
I hope this fellow recovers fully. That said, it seems a good moment to express concerns about bicyclists. There is one I encounter on the way to work, riding alongside parked vehciles in some situations, but in amongst traffic on 6thstreet in the AM. Very hazardous. And there's an empty sidewalk just feet away. Of course, that's probably illegal. And then, there's the character who was bouncing up and down on his bicycle in the north-bound lane of the one-way, north bound alongside thelibrary (Tennessee, is it?) He seemed oblivious to the traffic stacking up behind. I got around, was tempted lay on the horn but didn't. He caught up, sitting behind be atthe redlight on 6th. Then he rode through thei ntersection, inthe middle of thelane. Last I saw ofhim in the rear view mirror,hewas riding down the center of the lane on the bridge, still testing the shocks,still tying up automotive traffic. Should have arrested him with the scooter guy.
BringBackMark 1 year, 11 months ago
With all of the laws I see broken by cyclists, it surprises me there aren't a lot more accidents. Most common being passing cars on the right side at stop lighs and running through stop signs/red lights. By last count, Douglas County had spent over $2 million on bicycle paths. They could be used for recreational riding but instead most riders are found on the narrow county roads (e.g. 458 to Lone Star).
I have no sympathy for injured riders until I start seeing them obey the rules, be a little smart, and be courteous to the level you expect drivers to be.
coderob 1 year, 11 months ago
It's counter-intuitive, but cycling on the sidewalk is more dangerous than in the street. It's actually twice as dangerous as cycling in the street. Here's one study that demonstrates just that (originally from a journal article but reposted to a third party site). http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Library/Accident-Study.pdf
I'm surprised to find that Lawrence actually encourages people to bike on the sidewalk despite this well known problem. Drivers regularly underestimate the speed of bikes on sidewalks, and can't see them coming as well from the sidewalk. Going out on the street seems scary, but drivers can see you much better.
Carol Bowen 1 year, 11 months ago
A cyclist riding on a sidewalk does not have the right of way. Cyclists have no safe alternative on 23rd Street, but they are a problem for motorists. They move faster than pedestrians, and they tend not to use pedestrian rules. (Shouldn't cyclists use pedestrian rules like stopping at intersections before crossing?) There are no ordinances that address this problem. Maybe, the cyclist could be cited for jaywalking.
repaste 1 year, 11 months ago
Bunch of nuts out here , a few rational. Frequently you hear the driver say " they came out of nowhere." If you start that 4,000lb vehicle you have an obligation to only guide it where you know it is safe, all of us sometimes forget to check the sidewalk. We all need to learn to look, and to stop before the light/sign and look, then proceed, as the law is clear. As posted, it is 50/50 whether the bike had the right of way but in your drivers ed handbook it will say you are responsible regardless. You are the captain of the ship. Some of the posters are the same ones saying bikes belong on the sidewalk. More people die every year because of cars than entire Vietnam war, yet all we hear is faster, more powerful, bigger.
valgrlku 1 year, 11 months ago
This may not be the case in this situation, but I have almost hit several bicyclists who were riding on the sidewalk and literally came out of nowhere. My line of sight wasn't clear, due to some type of tree/fence/bushes/other sight obstruction blocking MY ability to see farther than a foot (or less) down the sidewalk.
Surely, riders should assume there is a car at the intersection (and many car drivers barely pause at a red light/stop sign, when turning!), but I'm not sure if drivers should assume that people are riding their bikes at breakneck speed on the sidewalk and into/across an intersection.
Riders (and runners) are much faster than walkers, and in my experience, in the time it takes a driver to adequately check right/left to see if the path is clear, a rider/runner barrels out of nowhere - not stopping or even pausing. If riders want to treat the sidewalks as a street, then they should obey the same traffic rules and precautions, I would think.
Jane 1 year, 11 months ago
Stay out of the crosswalk while riding your bike. If you want to use the crosswalk, get off the bike and walk it across the street.
Linda and Bill Houghton 1 year, 11 months ago
On 23rd Street it is best to ride in the street as long as you are riding properly. You will be seen and avoided. You will be going the direction that the traffic is going--where the dirivers on the side streets are looking for traffic. Riding on the sidewalk is very dangerous at the intersections.
I commuted to work on a bicycle for 35 years or so with only one minor accident--somebody right turned in front of me without adequate clearance. I would ride in a straight line a safe distance from the curb and would signal my turns. For several years this was on a major four and six lane street in the St. Louis area (Lindbergh Blvd). There was no other option--parallel streets did not go through. Sidewalks were available part of the way on most of my commutes, but I hate to think how many times I might have been hit, particularly by turning traffic, if I had tried to use the sidewalk.
geekin_topekan 1 year, 11 months ago
If you are riding a bike on the sidewalk and move into the street, you have become a wheeled vehicle with all the responsibilities of a wheeled vehicle. If you are in the crosswalk, you must WALK your bike to cross, otherwise you forfeit your rights as a pedestrian.
backyardwino 1 year, 11 months ago
It's too bad you don't like bicycles in the street because bicycles have just as much of a right to be there as a car. Get over yourself. Think of it this way; too many cars block and impede bike traffic.
birdsandflowers 1 year, 11 months ago
I do not like bicycles in the street. They are much safer on a sidewalk (and, yeah, yeah, I know -- it's a sideWALK, big deal). Injuries incurred from a bicyclist bumping into a walker are NOT life threatening (at least the chances are likely not to be), but a bicyclist hit by a car can very well be. It just doesn't make sense to me for bicyclists to be in the street even in a bike lane. Why aren't the bike lanes put alongside the sidewalks? The extra concrete used for the bike lane should equal the same price if placed next or near a sidewalk. This is a much safer concept for everyone. Too many bicyclists often block and impede traffic especially those who drive in the middle of the lane -- grrrrr!
FalseHopeNoChange 1 year, 11 months ago
"Running of the bulls"
Bikes should be 'banned'. They are too dangerous. People are "dying" out there! How many people 'have to die' before sensible heads prevail and eliminate bikes to 'save' lives.
JackMcKee 1 year, 11 months ago
Three wrecks in two days all had one thing in common.
Ron Holzwarth 1 year, 11 months ago
Here's a really good idea, but it does slow you down when riding a bicycle.
What you can do when you approach an intersection is get off your bicycle, and walk it. Then, all of the laws that apply to pedestrians apply to you.
It is not illegal for a pedestrian to walk his bicycle anywhere he wants.
DillonBarnes 1 year, 11 months ago
I'd say "assume they don't see you" is a pretty good rule of thumb whether you are walking, riding, or driving! Yes, they should have seen you, but you play a huge part in your own safety.
Even if, "it was his fault" is true, that doesn't heal broken bones.
outtatowntownie 1 year, 11 months ago
12:30 p.m. - Sun was not rising or setting.
I agree with jhawkins, though... bicyclists should always assume that they're not being seen. It's saved my life numerous times.
tvc 1 year, 11 months ago
At 12:30 p.m. is the sun rising or setting?
thinkagain 1 year, 11 months ago
Bicyclists should take extra caution or avoid riding with their backs to the rising or setting sun. It is really hard to see them.
irvan moore 1 year, 11 months ago
i thought it was ok to ride on the sidewalk except downtown, i stay on the sidewalks and feel a lot safer
Paula Kissinger 1 year, 11 months ago
He needs a citation for riding on the sidewalk and on the wrong side of the street no less. Unless the light was red to her, she had the right of way, from the description provided above.
jhawkinsf 1 year, 11 months ago
I ride there frequently. A frequent tendency of drivers looking to make a turn on a red light after stopping is for them to look left, looking for a break in traffic so they can proceed. What they don't do is look right to see if bicyclists or pedestrians are crossing their path. What I do is stop, even though I have the green, until I am sure the driver sees me. Sometimes, he/she never does.
Hope the rider's injuries are minor and he recovers quickly. Be safe out there, people.
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