I hate to write this, but yet another cyclist has been involved in a serious crash with a motor vehicle on a rural road in Washington County. This time it happened in North Plains near Glencoe Road and Highway 26.
This is a very popular cycling route and one I have ridden many times myself.
According to a report by KATU News, investigators say the victim was riding “as fast as twenty miles an hour when the truck turned in front of him. He apparently smashed into its side.” The cyclist was airlifted to OHSU in serious condition with back and neck injuries.
The police have not yet decided who was at fault. I have not heard the identity of the victim. I only know he was riding a high-end US Postal Service Team Edition Trek bicycle.
This is the third serious crash in this area in less than a month.
Some of you might remember that back in March I posted about the dangers of riding on rural roads. I called it “The Sauvie Island Problem” and said that if we don’t do something we are in for a very sad summer.
So now the question is, where do we go from here? Is there anything we can we do to make our rural roads safer?