[SDCBC] Bicyclist Dies After Being Hit By Mercedes

[Serge Issakov]

On 9/20/07, Frank  Paiano <wondernerd at juno.com> wrote:
> "Investigators said the man ran a red light at Kearny Villa Road
> and was hit in the intersection by a man driving a Mercedes."
>
> No mention of witnesses.  So one simply assumes the investigators said the man ran the red light because the driver of the Mercedes told them that the man ran the red light.  End of investigation.
>
> I'm not cynical, am I?
>
> Frank Paiano
> Ocean Beach

Yes, you are cynical, Frank.  But it's not just you.  I guess there is
some kind of primal tribal instinct to want to believe the member of
your tribe (the fellow cyclist) did nothing wrong (and therefore the
motorist probably did), but, sadly, this is rarely the case, and this
situation is no different.

Even if the Mercedes driver had run the red light, defensive drivers
and all cyclists should always check for red-light runners before
entering an intersection.  Clearly someone ran a red light and someone
didn't check for redlight runners.  Either way, the crash could have
been preventable by the either... EXCEPT...

> Witnesses told officers the cyclist, who appeared to be in his 30s, ran a red light in
> front of oncoming traffic about 10:15 p.m., San Diego police Sgt. Jeff Fellows said.

So apparently it was the Mercedes driver who should have checked for
red light runners before entering the intersection, EXCEPT, perhaps he
did and just didn't see the cyclist because:

> A man riding a bicycle without a light ...

Assuming the article is correct that the cyclist didn't have a light,
it's hard to blame the Mercedes driver for not seeing him...

References from the U-T article:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070920-0805-bn20cyclist.html

Most crashes, including most bike-car crashes, could be avoided if
EITHER party involved was practicing defensive driving practices, not
to mention following the basic rules of the road.

If we are serious about protecting our tribe (fellow cyclists), we
need to do a much better job about conveying the importance of
following the rules of the road, being vigilant, and taking full
responsibility for our safety when we're out there.  Blaming drivers
for doing what they typically do isn't going to make anyone safer.

Serge