BikeLite

https://velo.outsideonline.com/grave...-car-accident/
https://www.jaypetervary.com/

"“I’m not done with this ride yet” Jay Petervary 8/29/23
On the afternoon of August 27th, over 2000 miles into his FKT attempt on the 3080 mile Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, ultra endurance cycling legend Jay Petervary was hit from behind by a driver in a motor vehicle.

The collision occurred in a remote area about 10 miles outside of Hartsel, CO in daylight hours while Jay was traveling straight on a wide, open road with no trees or obstructions. Jay was hit from behind by a young driver (estimated 16/17 years old) and Jay reports that he was riding looking forward and suddenly got hit from behind, was launched forward from his bike and skidded on his face on the dirt road. Jay said he never lost consciousness and the young male driver stopped and was standing above him visibly shaken as Jay was shouting asking what happened. The male driver told him he’d been hit by a car. The driver, who was alone in his vehicle, called for help and Jay reports that while the driver was on the phone, Jay was shouting for the person on the other end of the phone to get help. Jay reports that the driver’s father is an EMS provider in the local area, so Jay is not sure if the driver called his father or 911 immediately. Multiple other people stopped to assist, including a man who was taking photos and getting names on scene. None of these people have come forth to provide information.

Jay remembers being very adamant about calling an ambulance and keeping track of all of his equipment such as bike, gear and GoPro camera. Jay estimates that his bike was about 20 yards away from where he landed. He recalls briefly seeing that the bike wheels were completely shattered and unrecognizable. He says “there was nothing left of the wheels”.
While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Jay was conscious the entire time, but starting to get cold, so the group of bystanders moved him into the back of a personal vehicle for shelter while they waited for the ambulance to arrive approximately an hour after the collision.

Jay spoke to the young driver and asked him what happened. The driver admitted he tried to swerve away and then hit Jay. The driver claims he was going 40 mph, but Jay questions that because he was propelled so far forward from his bike after the impact. Jay also spoke to the driver and said directly to him “look what you did to me.” The driver looked away and said “I’m sorry.”

Jay was transported by ambulance to the nearest trauma center in Colorado Springs, CO, where he has been undergoing treatment and surgeries for multiple injuries.

His injuries include:
Shattered left wrist that will require surgery
Right humerus break that will require surgery
Lumbar spinal fracture that will require a back brace for 6-8 weeks
Multiple facial and body lacerations and bruises

He is in incredible pain from the injuries and also emotional pain from being violently and abruptly stopped from a project that he’s been pursuing for 10 years. Not only was Jay pushing the limits of human performance, but this ride was also about honoring and telling the history of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route and the legacy of ultra endurance bike packing. He was documenting and bringing folks along for the ride for inspiration and education. He was also fundraising via the Be Good Foundation to raise scholarship money to fuel adventures for more people.

His body is working overtime to heal from the massive injuries while at the same time working to heal and recover from over 14 days of intense riding. He’s so hungry, on so many medications and working hard to be patient with the long healing process ahead. He is also extremely frustrated and expressed that he could accept this fate more easily if it was
something he’d done to himself. But this collision was done to him. His massive injuries and the end of his dream ride were caused by someone else’s horrific mistake. Jay was working hard to do something extraordinary for the endurance cycling community and is now questioning why this happened when he was working so hard to do so much good.
Jay is adored and loved in the cycling community and he knows that folks are sending healing and caring thoughts. As Jay focuses on his recovery, his wife Tracey is focusing on logistics for his care, transport home and engaging with Andrew Phillips of TheCyclist-Lawyer.com to navigate the legal repercussions of the collision.

Jay and his family and friends will be updating the world via social media and traditional media interviews. If and when there are more ways to help, we will put the message out to the community.

While Jay is broken he’s not done. His strength and resilience built over decades of extremely challenging riding has strengthened his mind and body like no other. He continues to inspire us with his mantra of “Ride Forward” and his parting words on our call today were “I’m not done with this ride yet.”

If there are people who were witnesses on scene, please come forth with photos or information. This is the biggest way to help right now. We ask you to please provide any information possible to Park County Sheriff's Deputy Darrion at (719) 836-4121 option #5.

Be Good
Ride Forward"

BikeLite

Straight roads with little traffic are bad because that is when the driver decides to read his social media messages.

Another strategery to contemplate. Using mirrors and maybe garmin radar to watch cars coming from behind, break their distraction with visual and audio signals using a horn and bright light double-flash (in addition to usual bike lights). That could be an airzound plus other brighter flash on their approach from behind. Another horn could be horn mp3 on phone blasted through bluetooth speaker...flame on.

Bald Paul

Some people say that mirrors and radar will do nothing to prevent you from being hit. I disagree. I was struck from behind 4 years ago. Luckily, it was more of a sideswipe when the vehicles windshield pillar hit me. 12 stitches and lots of road rash. Since then, I added the Varia RTC715 and a helmet mirror. Now, when I get notified by the Varia of an approaching vehicle, I check the mirror to see if the driver is making an attempt to pass with sufficient room, or slowing down to wait until it is safe to do so. If not, I have time to switch to Plan B - start looking for someplace soft to ditch.

Mtracer

I agree, I also use a Varia 515(?) and mirror. While it would do no good if someone suddenly went onto the shoulder, as if intentionally trying to hit you, it does at least give you a chance to move more to the side or even head for the ditch when drivers seem to be making no effort to give you more room.

I too take note of what a driver is doing. Most of the time drivers move well over way before reaching me. This is a clear indication they see me and are taking care to pass with as much room as possible. A few drivers seems to wait longer than they should. This is when I start thinking about moving to the extreme side as well as being prepared for another vehicle close behind the first that might not see me.

There are the drivers that probably see me, but seem to have an attitude of, not going to give an inch to a cyclist and pass much closer than needed. Just getting as far over on the shoulder as I can keeps this safe. I've not had a driver actually come up behind me crossing the line onto the shoulder. So, I've not had to take emergency actions. But at least a mirror and the radar give me some chance of reacting.

As to the accident, I'm glad the cyclist survived. And while I doubt a teenager on an open road was only going 40 MPH, that's plenty fast enough to launch a cyclist a good distance. And more than enough to kill you. I think the cyclist is lucky to be alive.

jadmt

it sounds like the driver stopped and called 911. also getting hit at 40mph is going to send you flying and a good long distance at that. I have witnessed a person get hit by a car going slower than that and it launched him a good long distance.

Leisesturm

For a mirror to work you have to be looking into it! You really should not be looking into a mirror over 1% of the time while you are moving forward. 50% of serious accidents are NOT with a car but with fixed objects or infrastructure. Look AHEAD! A cyclist in motion should have quite a lot of peripheral awareness just from being completely unenclosed. Actual visual monitoring of the rearward sector should be reserved for offensive maneuvers that put a cyclist into the main stream of traffic.

Even on rural roads with narrow shoulders, a cyclist simply cannot afford to ride along with their attention focused on their mirror. The subject cyclist was doing the right thing, but was he FRAP? Unknown. Possibly the road didn't allow it. I used to have to commute on roads like that. A Varia possibly could have saved him. I can't afford one, but if I was planning an event such as his I probably would look into one very seriously. The number of professional and recreational cyclists injured or killed while participating or competing in some kind of open course event is huge. I wonder if there are any stats or comparisons on just how significant a proportion of cyclists are mid-event when they meet with a serious accident.

Polaris OBark

$150 at REI right now. Get one.

Darth Lefty 

Weird tone to the article.

GamblerGORD53

Weird he didn't hear the car rumbling on the gravel and then skidding. But look at his ear in the picnic table pic.....
Riding on highways with all sorts of traffic on all widths of shoulders, I know damn well where they are in the lane or going wide, just by hearing.
And I have ZERO problem watching my big bar mirror. There's hundreds of tankers and flatbeds going by.
Doing a swivel to look back will pull the steering left everytime.

FBinNY 

Long before the advent of cell phones, straight sections of light traffic roads accounted for a surprising percentage of accidents.

It's human nature to raise our level of alertness when in perceived danger, and lower it when we feel safe. This totally negates the real difference in risk level, and is why we see so many accidents when we should least expect them.

This isn't to counter that things like cell phones compound the problem, or to excuse the driver. It's intended as a reminder to those of us who ride roads that WE need to remain alert and aware, especially when we might feel safer.


Best wishes to Jay for a full recovery.

JoeyBike

I check my helmet mounted mirror AT LEAST every 15-30 seconds. It's just a quick 1 second glance unless there is potential trouble approaching. Never had a problem since I got my first mirror in 1988. I don't even have to move my head, just my eyes. It's EASY! I do same in my car. I want to know where everybody is located in case something flies off some vehicle in front of me or that vehicle straddles something my car may be too low to clear. I look 15-30 seconds ahead, 1 second behind alternating mirrors in the car - lather, rinse, repeat. All day.

Professionals truck drivers agree.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recommendation:

"Tips for Truck and Bus Drivers

Large trucks and buses face unique safety challenges. The following tips can help truck and bus drivers make a plan for road safety.

1. Check Your Blind Spots

Check mirrors every 8-10 seconds to be aware of vehicles entering your blind spots. Additionally, scan ahead on the road about 15 seconds (equating to a quarter mile on interstates, or one to two blocks in cities) for traffic issues, work zones, and other dangers."
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Leisesturm

I ride a bicycle. I'm not sure why your CAR or BUS or TRUCK examples matter. Also, you ride your bicycle at 30mph. I do not. My cruising speed is just over 1/2 of that, and a good amount of the time it is 1/3 of that. "Look ahead" is good advice to give to paranoid cyclists (like yourself) that spend way too much time checking mirrors for threats from the rear, and yet end up slamming into potholes, branches or road cracks at speed. Your over literal, highly emotional, tear down of my advice is unwarranted. You are the one who needs to reduce your visual scans of the rear quarters and not me who needs to increase them.

JoeyBike

The SLOWER you ride a bike, the more cars will overtake you per given distance, and the more you should be looking for ppl sneaking up on you from behind. When looking ahead of me, my peripheral vision sees basic shapes in the mirror. When I look in the mirror for 1-2 seconds my peripheral vision can handle most significant objects ahead of me.

Individual results may vary. No warranties expressed or implied.

jiangshi

Joey is a pro rider, and prone to exaggeration..

Leisesturm

In town, cars are literally flowing past in a steady stream after every light change. There is much more time when cars are passing than when not. Why look for them?! I'd literally be glued to my mirror. A mirror scan every 30s?? Like 50% of my time on task? To what end. What will the mirror tell me that I don't already know? As long as they have a way to easily pass me, I'm not concerned. I'm riding close enough to the parked cars that if a driver decided to go for me ... go right ahead. He'd for sure take out someones automotive pride and joy as collateral damage. Worth it? Hasn't seemed like it so far. I'll risk continuing what seems to be working.

JoeyBike

Inquiring minds want to know?

Sadly there are 1000 dead cyclists - including professionals, steamrolled from behind and their grizzly grisly accounts posted here, who could answer your question better than I can. I'm hoping to avoid that style of enlightenment.
.
.
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Leisesturm

grisly accounts ...

LV2TNDM

Please stop using the horrible word "accident."
Its usage by people, the media, and public agencies only perpetuates the problem of driver irresponsibility and criminality.
"Wreck, crash, collision and incident" are far better words that do not immediately try to confer innocence on the driver before any facts are known.
We cyclists should already know this.

FBinNY 

I hear you, but I don't get as worked up about semantics in cases like this.

IMO, the word "ACCIDENT" does not imply innocence, or excuse anybody. It simply implies lack of intent. Accidents are caused by anything from simple error through a broad range of negligence. The law also recognizes the spectrum running from degrees of intent to acts of God.

So, feel free to use your preferred terms, and please allow others to do so equally, sparing us the lecture.

njkayaker

You should stay at home.

(I wonder if the total number of dead cyclists reported over the lifetime of this website reached 1000.)

JoeyBike

C'mon! I picked 1000 thinking that was on the LOW side. Might have to include a small number of severely maimed cyclists who survived catastrophic group collisions, but I kinda doubt it.

jack pot 

death statistics are for the morbidly curious ... just ride and dodge ... eventually your time will come #Xmessenger