Driver cited in serious injury collision on SE Ankeny and 7th

While I totally appreciate the continued attempt to nail down proper terminology for describing these events (note – I didn’t use “accident”!), I just don’t think this opening sentence does much good:

“Two people collided while traveling on SE Ankeny this morning.”

I don’t think their bodies touched.

Jonathan…I’m pretty sure the Burnside High Crash Corridor project includes some traffic calming stuff on Ankeny and Couch as well, but I don’t see anything specific in the documents. Any chance you’ve run across an overview of what they are planning?

I live near the traffic barrier on 20th and see cars driving over it or around it probably once a week. I’d love to see some more effective calming on Ankeny.

turned left while traveling eastbound on S.E. Ankeny, onto northbound S.E. 7th

The driver of the vehicle had stopped prior to turning and did not show any signs of impairment.

to me that shows sign of impairment… why else would they stop in the middle of the road when they saw no oncoming traffic?

Does the vulnerable road user law apply in this case? If not, why not?

Kudos for the PPB to cite someone for this collision and an obvious failure on the part of one vehicle operator.

A left cross… yikes.

I’m just gunna go out on a limb here and say that this was bad. Cars and Bikes are not supposed to collide. I know all of you are talking about how a thinning the heard is needed here, but I disagree. I think everyone should live.

Maybe cars and bikes should have dedicated roads, we could alternate days. I this it would be fun to have the highway available to us every other day

PPB still uses the word “accident”?

This is why I don’t like riding my bike in these deficient, sub-standard facilities.
This is why I don’t like driving my car around these deficient, sub-standard facilities.
We should be looking at all of the bike lanes and bikeways across the city, and if they’re old enough to drink, maybe it’s time to buy them some new, up to date clothes.

If we had a much-needed diverter at SE 7th & Ankeny, this would have been a total non-story.

The second the Burnside-Couch Couplet Project went in, auto-traffic on Ankeny SKYROCKETED.

Drivers don’t want to hit it through like, twelve sets of lights, when they can just floor it totally unimpeded a block north on a bike street with one stop sign in about twenty blocks.

What needs to happen for a diverter to go in here? Does somebody have to die first?

Another lesson that sometimes drivers can be looking straight at a bicycle and their brains don’t register what their eyes are seeing. Motorcycles get left crossed too. Some drivers are so careless, distracted, or incompetent that they don’t register anything short of a big truck.

Ride defensively. Assume every driver might try to hit you, cover your brakes, watch their hands and front wheels, and always have a plan. If that driver suddenly turns left in front of you, are you going to whip a hard right, swerve left, lay it down? Think about that as you approach the car.

There are things you can do to be more noticed. Weaving looks odd and gets attention. The dreaded hi-viz clothing or helmet. And the controversial daytime blinking headlight.

Hope the rider is okay and sues the crap out of the driver.

Also nice to see a report that recognizes the car didn’t cause the collision, but the DRIVER of the car. Eternally frustrating to see reports that say “a car hit a pedestrian…” or “the car ran through a red light,” when of course the driver is the one responsible. Good job bikeportland!

If ya’all want to see more diverters, just drop an email to safe@portlandoregon.gov and ask them to do something to reduce cut-through traffic on Ankeny.

You can cite this collision, and give them any anecdotal evidence you’ve gathered, including effects of the Burnside Couplet project.

Many of these improvements re installed strictly on a complaint basis. This is not a residential neighborhood, by and large, so its unlikely the neighborhood association would get behind it (or block it, for that matter).

Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Best wishes for a speedy, full recovery for the person that got hit.

Ted Buehler

I think it’s interesting how Driver’s don’t “see” bicyclists and other road users, but what really happens is they simply are classified as not a threat, and hence not worthy of concern. All too often, it takes a bus or a concrete truck to reach the threshold of threat, and loons go on their merry way, ignoring other traffic.

Me too. Whenever another road user does something dangerous or unpredictable around me while I ride, I wonder if they would have done the same thing were I driving a dump truck instead of a bicycle…
Splat.

Burt
I think it’s interesting how Driver’s don’t “see” bicyclists and other road users, but what really happens is they simply are classified as not a threat, and hence not worthy of concern. All too often, it takes a bus or a concrete truck to reach the threshold of threat, and loons go on their merry way, ignoring other traffic.
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Spiffy
… why else would they stop in the middle of the road when they saw no oncoming traffic?
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Bright sun in the eyes?

Arguments against attention getting blinkies (http://bikeportland.org/2014/07/08/grafitti-northwest-portland-rages-blinking-bike-lights-108410#comments) meet article about drivers not paying attention…

My question is, Did he have lights and if so were they flashing or solid?

I feel for the cyclist, as I was in a similar accident three months ago descending the West Hills, except that I somehow avoided hitting the car (both wheels locked up, fish-tailing). I hit the pavement hard, and got an ambulance ride to the ER on a backboard w/neck brace. Concussion symptoms are gone, but still healing the lower back with physical therapy.

Since there were no witnesses in my incident, the police officer could not write a ticket for the at fault driver. Also, the driver initially denied pulling out right in front of me from the stop sign. The police officer explained to me that since I, the cyclist, did not “make contact” with the car and that there were no witnesses other than the driver, he did not have sufficient evidence to give the driver a ticket. However, the day after the accident, the police officer re-intervieedd the driver, and the driver changed their story, admitting fault, etc. Fortunately, the driver was/is properly insured, and everything has/is being taken care of.

Couple things I learned in my accident:
– Call the police. Insist on an accident report.
– Locate witnesses and get their information.
– Use a flashing headlight that is readily visible in daylight.
– Joke mode on: hit the car and leave a large enough debris pile on the road so that there is no question about location the bicycle and car. Joke mode off.

I just found out 10 minutes ago that the cyclist is someone I work with, and is in the ICU, might possibly require surgery. 🙁 Be vigilant out there, everyone.

I was riding right behind him when it happened and it was the drivers fault as the cyclist had the right of way.

That being said if the guy would have only been wearing a helmet he would have been much better off. All I could do was try and stabilize him and hope for the best. I haven’t seen anything like it. Thank god he’s going to make it cause I wasn’t so sure at the time.