Susan Otcenas has a keen eye for erratic drivers. She’s logged thousands of miles on her bike, riding between her business in Hillsboro and to meetings in and around Portland.
Last Sunday night, while driving, she watched in horror as the car in front of her struck a cyclist riding in a bike lane on TV highway in Beaverton…and then kept on going.
Luckily the drunk driver – a repeat offender with four prior DUII convictions driving on a suspended license – was eventually caught after crashing into a car further down the road.
Susan learned a lot from the incident and wants to share some valuable lessons:
- I knew license plate number, make, model and color of vehicle, etc…But the officers responding on the scene asked several times “Can you describe the driver?” Other than the briefest of descriptions (like “male, olive complexion”), I couldn’t. So if you can get a good look at the driver, be sure to do so.
(This necessity to identify the driver in order to prosecute them is unacceptable to BTA Director Evan Manvel.)
- If you see someone driving erratically, call 911. If you ever see someone driving suspiciously, don’t hesitate – you should call it in. You could be saving someone else’s life.
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Carry a cell phone. The cyclist was coherent enough to dial his wife. I spoke with her and reassured her that he was conscious, that the ambulance had arrived, and kept her updated on where the ambulance was taking him. I was wishing for a camera-phone, so I could take a photo of his position, where the bike landed, etc. You just never know when that info might be
useful to prosecutors.
(Photos might also be useful if you plan on prosecuting the case yourself.)
- There are some things we can not “protect” ourselves from. While I consider myself to be a relatively skilled and observant cyclist, I never assume that I’m safe out there.
Last night KATU-TV did a full report on this story and interviewed Susan. You can read and watch it on the KATU website.
Unlike KGW’s poor Zoobomb coverage last week, KATU’s story was more thoughtful and fair, referring to the drunk driver’s car’s “3,000 pound” weight and calling it a “lethal weapon.” and reminding viewers that the motorist in a similar crash two weeks ago still hasn’t been charged with anything. **Editor’s Note: After a commenter brought this statement to my attention, I realized it was a careless thing to say. Not only are these two crashes totally different, but I did not intend to make people think that the McDaniel investigation was going too slowly.