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Cyclists killed and injured by dump truck
SEATTLE – Two bicyclists were hit by a dump truck Friday afternoon, killing one of the riders.
The accident happened around 3 p.m. near Eastlake Avenue E. and Fuhrman Avenue E.
Seattle Police say the bicyclists were heading north on Eastlake when the dump truck turned right from Eastlake to Fuhrman, hitting both bicycles.
The accident happened around 3 p.m. near Eastlake Avenue E. and Fuhrman Avenue E.
Seattle Police say the bicyclists were heading north on Eastlake when the dump truck turned right from Eastlake to Fuhrman, hitting both bicycles.
KING 5 News
The bicyclist was crushed by the dump truck's front tires
Related Content
Blog: Who’s at fault?
"He made an emergency right hand turn as sharp as he could to avoid the dump truck, but he was going way too fast. Shouldn't have been trying to pass a dump truck on the right hand side on the curb to begin with," said witness Doug Edwards.
The bicyclist who was killed was crushed under the truck's front tires. The second cyclist, who was lodged between the truck's rear tires, was alert and calling for help. He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Police say the two male cyclists, in their 20's, were friends.
The driver of the truck – driving for Nelson Construction – was badly shaken by what happened.
"He's very upset. He's probably in shock. He's barely able to talk. He's not hurt, but mentally, he's just in a lot of despair," said neighbor Kaaren Nichols after talking to the driver.
Police say they have not determined who's at fault in the accident.
The name of the bicyclist will likely be released by the medical examiner Saturday.
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(commentary - A second television station posted an article mentioning the lack of helmet of the first rider. Isn't it disrespectful in some sense that every bicycle story in the news ends with a statement of judgment, saying whether the person was wearing a helmet. This practice is not done for other categories of injury in the news. This factor would not save someone falling under the wheels of a truck, it casts shame on someone who just died, yet they treat other types of decisionmaking not paying attention as 'accidental' oversight)
The bicyclist was crushed by the dump truck's front tires
Related Content
Blog: Who’s at fault?
"He made an emergency right hand turn as sharp as he could to avoid the dump truck, but he was going way too fast. Shouldn't have been trying to pass a dump truck on the right hand side on the curb to begin with," said witness Doug Edwards.
The bicyclist who was killed was crushed under the truck's front tires. The second cyclist, who was lodged between the truck's rear tires, was alert and calling for help. He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Police say the two male cyclists, in their 20's, were friends.
The driver of the truck – driving for Nelson Construction – was badly shaken by what happened.
"He's very upset. He's probably in shock. He's barely able to talk. He's not hurt, but mentally, he's just in a lot of despair," said neighbor Kaaren Nichols after talking to the driver.
Police say they have not determined who's at fault in the accident.
The name of the bicyclist will likely be released by the medical examiner Saturday.
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(commentary - A second television station posted an article mentioning the lack of helmet of the first rider. Isn't it disrespectful in some sense that every bicycle story in the news ends with a statement of judgment, saying whether the person was wearing a helmet. This practice is not done for other categories of injury in the news. This factor would not save someone falling under the wheels of a truck, it casts shame on someone who just died, yet they treat other types of decisionmaking not paying attention as 'accidental' oversight)
For more information:
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW...
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As far as these cyclist? they were trying to "beat the train" so to speak. And now you have a truck driver who is traumatized because of ignorant cyclist which I see all the time!! They have a wide open space to ride in they're wide open bike lane yet they ride next to the "white Line". When I'm in my truck & on coming traffic is approaching, do I hit on coming traffic or take a chance on the dumb-ass on his bicycle. Dawg.
Posted by: Flashdawg99
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Shane, you're saying a motorist is at fault any time they get involved in an accident with a biker trying to race across in front of them as they make a right hand turn?
Totally irresponsible denial of accountability in the face of law, good sense and reason...how GOP can you get?
Posted by: KaninZ
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There is a bike lane. The light was green. The Bicycle by the RCW had the right of way. I think this is pretty simply, this is manslaughter. However, the city will likely do nothing.
I stopped and talked to an officer whose name tag said Pisconski the discussion was very eye opening:
Me: Seattle motorists have been killing a lot of cyclists
Pisconski: not all cyclists are smart
me: This person was on the bike trail and the dumptruck didn’t signal
Pisconski (While smirking and laughing): That's your opinion.
Even the police in Seattle seem to want cyclists to die. They don't care when drivers swerve to hit cyclists, and they seem to think it is funny when cyclists are killed by dumptrucks.
For a city that considers itself cycling friendly, Seattle police seem to care nothing to enforce any laws that will protect cyclists. They do not enforce the 3 foot rule, they turn a blind eye to anything and everything that is involved with protecting the cyclist.
Personally, I suspect that this driver saw the cyclists and decided he would cut them off. In my experience this summer, it is standard behavior to try to cut off cyclists, I have it happen *EVERY DAY*.
Harsh truth, deep down inside... Seattle wants to kill cyclists.
I had a man swerve and purposefully hit me last week on Roy, he looked, saw that I was coming up alongside on the right at a stop light and swerved so hard he ran into the curb. He was trying to hit me, period. My friend narrowly avoided a ford f350 that swerved at him last week.
If this is anything like what i see daily... the truth is this... this truck driver swerved to cut off the cyclist to vent his road rage, killed the person he cut off, and then was shocked at what he had done.
Some motorists in Seattle have decided that a cyclist passing on the right is committing a capital crime and they have also decided they will be judge, jury and executioner.
As to he people who are justifying the manslaughter of this cyclist, I see where we have ended up. There are in Seattle, motorists actively assault cyclists everyday and the police never respond.
Why do you feel you have a right to attempt to murder us because we pass you on the right. Yeah, we may be breaking the law... but do we have to die as punishment for this. Are we that horrible of monsters in your eyes?
Is it your job to take your car and enforce the rules by assaulting us with your vehicle?
Why do you want to kill us?
Why do we have to die?
What is the justification of swerving your 4000 lb car at a person because they took more right of way than you feel they deserve?
Why do you need to try to kill us? Is what we do so loathe to you that you have become homicidal to us?
Why?
Posted by: J
It is a sign of responsible driving, whatever the circumstances of the accident.
Anyone who thinks that someone whose livelihood depends on a clean driving record, would nevertheless intentionally risk hitting someone on a bicycle - just to make some kind of point about spatial dominance of a public roadway - has probably never had to work for a living.