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oh gosh - Cement Truck Hits Bicyclist, Serious Injury Reported

Old 02-15-19, 01:13 PM
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rumrunn6
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oh gosh - Cement Truck Hits Bicyclist, Serious Injury Reported

this doesn't sound good, say a prayer for her

Massachusetts State Police are responding to a crash with serious injury involving a cement truck that struck a female bicyclist in Boston.
The accident was reported on Brookline Avenue at Park Drive around 1:30 p.m. Emergency medical services and multiple state police units are on scene
now they're saying life threatening injuries









Last edited by rumrunn6; 02-15-19 at 02:13 PM.
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Old 02-15-19, 01:26 PM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
this doesn't sound good, say a prayer for her

Massachusetts State Police are responding to a crash with serious injury involving a cement truck that struck a female bicyclist in Boston.
The accident was reported on Brookline Avenue at Park Drive around 1:30 p.m. Emergency medical services and multiple state police units are on scene
Prayer for a fellow cyclist sent!
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Old 02-15-19, 02:02 PM
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Gotta link? Is that in the middle of the street, or a parking lot? Not that it matters, but if there was something unusual or some safe driving/riding lesson to be had, I'd like to learn what not to do.
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Old 02-15-19, 02:10 PM
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Originally Posted by base2
Gotta link? Is that in the middle of the street, or a parking lot? Not that it matters, but if there was something unusual or some safe driving/riding lesson to be had, I'd like to learn what not to do.
https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/02/...-cement-truck/

https://www.necn.com/news/new-englan...505897091.html
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Old 02-15-19, 02:47 PM
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Originally Posted by base2
Gotta link? Is that in the middle of the street, or a parking lot? Not that it matters, but if there was something unusual or some safe driving/riding lesson to be had, I'd like to learn what not to do.
Don’t drive your cement truck in Mass
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Old 02-15-19, 03:05 PM
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she did not survive her injuries. let's be respectful, a lot of ppl are hurting right now

Last edited by rumrunn6; 02-18-19 at 02:52 PM.
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Old 02-15-19, 03:28 PM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
she died
I'm sorry to hear that, more like outraged, actually. Well, let's hear what the story is, this time
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Old 02-15-19, 03:41 PM
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RIP.
Another girl, another truck. Out in the middle of 4 lanes of a five way intersection.
The 2 R lanes go to the R fork. The truck went to the one lane L fork. The bike was either VC and going that way, or stopped and turning left.
Either case, a very very poor place to be.
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Old 02-15-19, 03:51 PM
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Originally Posted by GamblerGORD53
RIP.
Another girl, another truck. Out in the middle of 4 lanes of a five way intersection.
The 2 R lanes go to the R fork. The truck went to the one lane L fork. The bike was either VC and going that way, or stopped and turning left.
Either case, a very very poor place to be.
Whoa, let's not rush to judgment about the cyclist. Boston has many cycle-only lanes that run the center of the lanes.
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Old 02-15-19, 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by parkbrav
Whoa, let's not rush to judgment about the cyclist....
It doesn’t take much thought to be thoughtless.

I’ll wait for actual facts.

p.s. I ride, walk, drive, hell, even knee scooter through that gauntlet all the time.

-mr. bill



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Old 02-15-19, 04:59 PM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
she died
I am very sorry to hear that.
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Old 02-15-19, 05:29 PM
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Yeah, that sucks.
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Old 02-18-19, 09:59 AM
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So pedestrians and cyclists already know that is a risky intersection. Did anybody tell motorists that? Of course not. Motorists aren't the ones getting struck so there's no need. Pedestrians and cyclists are reminded yet again to be more careful. And police doesn't know whether or not to lay charges against the driver. I'm guessing they aren't going to.
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Old 02-18-19, 10:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
So pedestrians and cyclists already know that is a risky intersection. Did anybody tell motorists that? Of course not. Motorists aren't the ones getting struck so there's no need. Pedestrians and cyclists are reminded yet again to be more careful. And police doesn't know whether or not to lay charges against the driver. I'm guessing they aren't going to.
The reason a license is required is because of the risk of infringment of life & liberties of others. The bigger, the more complicated the vehicle, the higher the risk. A bicycle poses little to none. So, no license required

This cyclist has her right to life & liberty permanently infringed. The licensed driver *should* be chared accordingly. Vehicular manslaughter, negligent homocide on account of his higher licensing, or something similar..but you're probably right. He probably won't. A "failure to yield" or some other low level meaningless charge that won't tie up the courts or interfere with insurance company or trucking company profits, or whatever, is probably what'll happen.
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Old 02-18-19, 03:03 PM
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Originally Posted by base2
This cyclist has her right to life & liberty permanently infringed. The licensed driver *should* be chared accordingly. (sic)
This is how I feel. Since in the normal and correct, law-abiding operation of any vehicle on the road, collisions simply do not happen, if there is a collision, someone had to break the law.

Since one of the involved parties was liable to cause Much more damage, that party should be held to a higher standard of caution.

I cannot speak to this case here. I have no facts. it is possible the cyclist acted recklessly. it is possible the driver was inattentive. i cannot say.

In general though ... it is like firing a BB gun in one's back yard versus firing a high-powered rifle. If you fire a 30-06 where the bullet could pierce cars and houses---several houses---you would be deemed a dangerous criminal even if no one got hit. If you fired a BB gun, which could not even piece clothing at 20 feet, you would not be so deemed.

The driver of Any motor vehicle should be held to a higher standard because that driver creates more risk. The driver of the vehicle, in the event that s/he was deemed even partially responsible, should be punished the same as a person randomly discharging a firearm in a residential area. Perhaps there was no Intent to cause injury, but the action demonstrated reckless disregard for the potential for severe injury.

Not expecting to see that happen ... too many people driving cars. But justice is a concept which exists separate (sadly) from people's self-protective fear-based biases.
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Old 02-19-19, 06:54 AM
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That's terribly sad. RIP Paula. May your husband find healing and peace.

The truck moved forward when the light turned green. They don't yet know if the driver will be charged. The truck driver was taken to the hospital.

That looks like a horrible intersection.
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Old 02-19-19, 03:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
...
The truck moved forward when the light turned green...

That looks like a horrible intersection.
Not sure where, maybe it's Toronto but I heard some traffic planners plan to give pedestrians and cyclists advanced green lights before motor vehicles can proceed. No doubt the driving community will be upset for yet another delay but this forces motorists to actually watch who's crossing.
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Old 02-20-19, 07:46 AM
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Arlington MA has done some good things

on Mass Ave @ Mystic St there is a cycling box. we don't get our own light, but we get first opportunity to go (ahead of vehicular traffic), in a very visible spot. then once you get going you have to move over to the bike lane





a little further down Mass Ave there is this crossing







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Old 02-20-19, 07:56 AM
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Looks like the 4:20 Police were first on the scene. Even has "420" plates. Is that a heart?



Condolences to the victim's family and friends of course, that goes without saying.

Last edited by Lemond1985; 02-20-19 at 08:15 AM.
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Old 02-20-19, 12:32 PM
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oh gosh - Cement Truck Hits Bicyclist, Serious Injury Reported
Originally Posted by rumrunn6
she did not survive her injuries. let's be respectful, a lot of ppl are hurting right now
Dittoes to all those sentiments, and thanks for posting @rumrunn6. I have previously written about another, non-fatal crash
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
…Wow…sorry to hear about this. It sounds like a “major” crash, especially with such damage.

I won’t ask “what happened?,” but posting details for me at least gives me renewed attention to such situations on the road

...kind of a "cycling post-mortem."
I live about a mile from that intersection, and it’s the first and last stretch of my cycle–commute. That neigborhood, the Fenway, is also a hotly developing spot with residential and commercial high rise buildings recently built or under construction.

I have posted about my neighborhood, Kenmore Square, Fenway, Brookline and Allston-Brighton, that a few but inordinate number of cyclist-truck fatalities have happened.

For example,
Originally Posted by Maelochs
A perfect example is the video I think @jim_from_Boston posted of a female university professor getting right-hooked by a semi. I, and many other experienced traffic riders, posted that they felt sick when they saw the cyclist in the right lane pulling up to and trying to pass the truck in the left lane.

Too many of us have seen trucks make wide turns, and too many of us have seen that trucks cannot see everything in their mirrors all the time, and that a bike can sneak into a blind spot…
FWIW, as decades-long, year-round lifestyle cyclist, mainly commuting, I have frequently posted about my safety mindset,
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
Over the past few months I have come to realize that my safety aphorisms, collected over the years by personal or vicarious experience, are my way of actively aligning the stars in my favor, to anticipate those unseen and otherwise unanticipated dangers.

FWIW, for my own information at least, my other aphorisms beside those above [include]:

  • Truck at corner in sight, don't go right." I’m also wary of passing on the right at an intersection, especially next to a bus or truck, after reading of fatalities on my routes
Those are all I remember for now, and they all pop-up in my mind as I encounter the situation.
Finally here is a recent follow up about this current accident:Ghost Bike’ ceremony to be held for…victim of Fenway crash

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Old 02-20-19, 12:43 PM
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I immediately remember the accident at Porter Square cpl yrs ago. this link has a graphic (created from security camera at the scene) showing that truck's blind spot & explains what happened in that incident

https://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/new...-lexington-man

I've ridden the exact same path, I think, as that individual, but crossing lanes is nothing to be taken lightly

& this summer I had to make this move. my longest ride w/ fairly new cleated pedals & shoes



taking the lane isn't necessarily a solution w oncoming traffic. images courtesy of Google


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Old 02-20-19, 01:39 PM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
I immediately remember the accident at Porter Square cpl yrs ago. this link has a graphic (created from security camera at the scene) showing that truck's blind spot & explains what happened in that incident

https://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/new...-lexington-man

I've ridden the exact same path, I think, as that individual, but crossing lanes is nothing to be taken lightly

& this summer I had to make this move. my longest ride w/ fairly new cleated pedals & shoes

taking the lane isn't necessarily a solution w oncoming traffic. images courtesy of Google
What you're describing, @rumrunn6 reminds me of a lot of roads in my part of the Boston area, they kind of split off of a main road. It gets hard for a cyclist to avoid taking the lane if you're intending to merge left onto the main road. If a car is behind you and going right onto the arterial road then the cyclist is left in the road exposed to the traffic. If the car going right speeds up (it happens) or doesn't signal, or whatever, there could be a nasty situation.

Last edited by parkbrav; 02-20-19 at 01:51 PM.
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Old 02-20-19, 06:31 PM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
I immediately remember the accident at Porter Square cpl yrs ago. this link has a graphic (created from security camera at the scene) showing that truck's blind spot & explains what happened in that incident

So, it’s “clear” from the diagram that the operator could only see Joe’s helmet.

According to that diagram can the operator see his own hood?

If you think that anything to date “explains what happened in that incident,” think again.

I know, justice bends toward truth, but it takes a long long long LONG time to get there.

Harder still, the truth ends up sealed.

(NFL)

-mr. bill




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Old 02-20-19, 06:45 PM
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Originally Posted by parkbrav
What you're describing, @rumrunn6 reminds me of a lot of roads in my part of the Boston area, they kind of split off of a main road.

It gets hard for a cyclist to avoid taking the lane if you're intending to merge left onto the main road. If a car is behind you and going right onto the arterial road then the cyclist is left in the road exposed to the traffic. If the car going right speeds up (it happens) or doesn't signal, or whatever, there could be a nasty situation.
I have described what seems to be a similar situation on my route through Brookline:
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
,,,I pass this whimsical one on my commute, with two additional directives, in the People's Republic of Brookline. It's at a fork in the road (at the intersection of Cottage St and Goddard Ave) and faces the oncoming traffic entering the fork (see map below).

It's a somewhat scary fork because as I ride west on Cottage St, upcoming traffic behind me may drive past me as I try to cross over Cottage to Goddard Ave. The slight turn to my left shifts my rearward-mirror view away from the traffic behind me, and often I stop to look and cross. So those signs are welcome.

Both streets are two lane without shoulders and carry a lot of commuter traffic. However there is an asphalt off-road path as seen in the photo. To my advantage also, I ride in the reverse commuter direction, with fewer cars on my side of the road.




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Old 03-25-19, 02:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
oh gosh - Cement Truck Hits Bicyclist, Serious Injury Reported

Dittoes to all those sentiments, and thanks for posting @rumrunn6...I live about a mile from that intersection, and it’s the first and last stretch of my cycle–commute. That neigborhood, the Fenway, is also a hotly developing spot with residential and commercial high rise buildings recently built or under construction.

I have posted about my neighborhood, Kenmore Square, Fenway, Brookline and Allston-Brighton, that a few but inordinate number of cyclist-truck fatalities have happened.
This new post was too somber IMO to post to our usually jolly Metro Boston Regional Discussion thread, but deserves mention here.

Just yesterday I passed a ghost bike at the intersection of Clarendon Street and Commonwealth Ave in the tony residential and pedestrian-friendly neighborhood of Boston’s Back Bay, a jarring sight there, compared to the aforementioned bustling neighborhoods.I had not heard of such an accident, nor had the manager of the local Bike Shop, and no acquaintances mentioned it to me.

I googled cyclist + Clarendon + Boston and found reports of a hit-and -run fatality on around 3:30 AM April 30. 2017 of a cyclist who “lived on his bike.” I pass that way occasionally, yet just saw the memorial yesterday. I did not notice a sign.

The panoramic view is from a 2017 article. The ghost bike is direcly across the mall from the cyclist in the photo.



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