Bicyclist Killed on Southside - Any Details on Who this was?

A bicyclist was killed in a hit and run - does anyone know who this was?



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Permalink Reply by lauren sailor on January 19, 2011 at 11:58am

i had to go to campus today, so i altered my route a little. i'm usually on King Drive (400 East) at Pershing, and had a vague mental image of Pershing to the west (i.e., the 300 East block where the rider was found) but wanted to get a better picture.

that part of the road had two freshly paved, rather narrow lanes in each direction, and the outer lane had cars parked in it intermittently. there's a fair amount of open/undeveloped space, but some strips of shops on both sides of the road, only some of which looked boarded up. the pavement was remarkably clear, and not even the door zone of the few parked cars had encrusted ice. there's a school, didn't catch what grades but from the kids outside i'd guess high school. both times i passed (noon and 2:30) there were at least a dozen people on the sidewalks, either passing through or hanging out.

it seems like there's plenty going on in that stretch of Pershing. yet even with no school on Monday, i cannot believe the snow plow driver was the first to call 911. i'm really hoping the plow came almost immediately after the collision, and not that the fallen bicyclist was ignored.

i did not stop and did not wish to, given all the activity. not the sort of place i'd want to change a flat.

Permalink Reply by S on January 19, 2011 at 4:19pm
Permalink Reply by Adam Torres on January 19, 2011 at 9:08pm
Yeah, there is a lot of industrial traffic on Pershing. Very sad.

When I lived in Kansas City 6 years ago, a truck struck and killed a cyclist and didn't even know it because of it's height and visibility. It was the most sad story. Be careful everyone!

S said:

It looks like it's a truck that did it.  

 

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/news/local/chibrknews-tanker-tru...

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on January 20, 2011 at 2:07am

Be careful around trucks.

 

Having driven one myself I can tell you that most people just get plain stupid around them.  The driver has limited visibility and can not stop it on a dime or swerve very quickly.  It's called mass.  The laws of physics can not be violated with impunity. Never ever get in the blindspot and if the truck starts turning realize that the trailer will take a different line than the tractor. 

 

It makes me sick that a bicyclist got killed.  I can see how this could happen in the dark and in the snow where the road is made narrow due to icing and cars parking over.  It is possible that the driver never saw this guy or felt the impact.

Permalink Reply by Davo on January 20, 2011 at 4:41am

+1 This happend to a guy in minneapolis a few years back.

 

This is why I stay far behind trucks especially at intersections.

James Baum said:

Be careful around trucks.

 

Having driven one myself I can tell you that most people just get plain stupid around them.  The driver has limited visibility and can not stop it on a dime or swerve very quickly.  It's called mass.  The laws of physics can not be violated with impunity. Never ever get in the blindspot and if the truck starts turning realize that the trailer will take a different line than the tractor. 

 

It makes me sick that a bicyclist got killed.  I can see how this could happen in the dark and in the snow where the road is made narrow due to icing and cars parking over.  It is possible that the driver never saw this guy or felt the impact.

Permalink Reply by KatieP on January 20, 2011 at 7:13am

Thanks all - it's interesting the man turned out to be 65 years old and not the originally estimated 40 years old. That being said, the cycling community must have lost an extremely dedicated member to have ridden that night.

 

I'll be much more careful around trucks. Anyone know if they get special training on how to handle/share the road with cyclists?

Permalink Reply by mike w. on January 20, 2011 at 8:06am
Damn.

Eric Vann said:

http://tinyurl.com/4vksuno

 

How ironic. Here is another truck/cyclist-related fatality.

S said:

It looks like it's a truck that did it.  

 

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/news/local/chibrknews-tanker-tru...

Permalink Reply by Moc Artsy on January 20, 2011 at 8:15am
With all due respect to truck drivers and visibility issues involving semi-trailer rigs, the article does explain that the driver is being sought because he was traveling at a high rate of speed eastbound on Pershing. Does anyone on Chainlink--truck driver or cyclist--want to defend a professional driver piloting a semi rig with an extended cab at a very high rate of speed on Pershing? I live in McKinley Park and ride Bridgeport/Canaryville/Bronzeville all the time. There are neighborhood-specific issues that I have encountered and continue to encounter, and a number of these issues have involved trucks. Not to assign the blame to truck drivers or to anyone in broadly general terms. Part of the issue to me seems to be the routing of truck traffic through what are swiftly becoming residential neighborhoods, but that still have not only industrial pockets and delivery routes, but access to 55 (right next to my place) and the Dan Ryan (near where the accident took place). I think every seasoned cyclist knows from experience to exercise special caution when riding near trucks. Evidently not all drivers know not to drive at expressway speeds on streets like Pershing. That said, we also know nothing about the man on the bicycle who was struck and killed. For every assumption about him being a part of a Chicago cycling "community," in that neighborhood it is also quite possible that this was someone who simply relied on a bicycle to get around. There are all kinds of people on bicycles in these neighborhoods who are not on the Chainlink and whom most of us hardly notice. They are worth worrying about.
Permalink Reply by KatieP on January 20, 2011 at 9:21am
Agreed - I suppose I assume anyone who bikes is part of the community - whether online or not.

Moc Artsy said:
With all due respect to truck drivers and visibility issues involving semi-trailer rigs, the article does explain that the driver is being sought because he was traveling at a high rate of speed eastbound on Pershing. Does anyone on Chainlink--truck driver or cyclist--want to defend a professional driver piloting a semi rig with an extended cab at a very high rate of speed on Pershing? I live in McKinley Park and ride Bridgeport/Canaryville/Bronzeville all the time. There are neighborhood-specific issues that I have encountered and continue to encounter, and a number of these issues have involved trucks. Not to assign the blame to truck drivers or to anyone in broadly general terms. Part of the issue to me seems to be the routing of truck traffic through what are swiftly becoming residential neighborhoods, but that still have not only industrial pockets and delivery routes, but access to 55 (right next to my place) and the Dan Ryan (near where the accident took place). I think every seasoned cyclist knows from experience to exercise special caution when riding near trucks. Evidently not all drivers know not to drive at expressway speeds on streets like Pershing. That said, we also know nothing about the man on the bicycle who was struck and killed. For every assumption about him being a part of a Chicago cycling "community," in that neighborhood it is also quite possible that this was someone who simply relied on a bicycle to get around. There are all kinds of people on bicycles in these neighborhoods who are not on the Chainlink and whom most of us hardly notice. They are worth worrying about.
Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on January 20, 2011 at 8:42pm

This is something I have questions about.

 

Does simply riding a bike make one join the Chicago cycling community?

Or does this person also have to know someone else who rides a bike, and then talk to them about it?

 

I was chatting (in person, in Copenhagen) recently with Mikael of Copenhagenize.com and he mentioned something about needing a bicycle culture. I said Chicago has a bicycle culture. He begged to differ, saying we have a bicycle "subculture." This is food for thought! 

 

What do all these things mean?

If he's right that we have a subculture, how do we go to making a bicycle culture in this great city?

 

It seems to be in the small details. For example:

  • Are heavily-traveled bike lanes plowed clear of snow before the afternoon commute home (like, Milwaukee Avenue)?
  • When there's a detour because of bridge replacement (like, Halsted just south of Division), are people riding bikes "taken care of" and considered in the detour route and design?
  • Is there effort at major train and bus stations (Ogilvie and Union) to ensure bicycles parked overnight don't get stolen? Perhaps in the form of an indoor and guarded bike parking area.
  • What kind of accountability does the City leadership offer those who travel by active and sustainable transportation modes? Are they meeting their goals?
  • How and where are people being educated on being safe as an active and sustainable transportation user?
  • How does City leadership respond to problems or deficiencies in the cycling transportation network?
  • How will we know if we've achieved a bicycle culture? When all of these questions have affirmative or positive outcomes?

(I know the answers to some of these, but not all of them. Can you help?)

-Steve


Katie Paffhouse said:

Agreed - I suppose I assume anyone who bikes is part of the community - whether online or not.
Permalink Reply by lauren sailor on January 20, 2011 at 11:26pm

ah, so it was west pershing, my bad. please disregard my earlier comments on the environs, i was on east pershing.

 

steven, great thoughts and a lot of great points! maybe enough for a whole new thread :)

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on January 21, 2011 at 3:40am
Yes enough for a new thread. A topic I was going to start in regards to what we discussed at the humanties festival this past fall.

lauren sailor said:

 

steven, great thoughts and a lot of great points! maybe enough for a whole new thread :)

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