Columbus cyclist dies after colliding with car

A Columbus man died after his bicycle collided with a car Thursday morning on Road 325W, police said.

Paul Eugene Ferguson, 67, of 3745 N. Road 325W, was riding southbound on the county road's bridge behind Westhill Shopping Center off Indiana 46W when he was struck by a southbound car driven by Sharon Baldwin, 57, of 611 Terrace Lake Road.

"He pulled right into her path," said Bartholomew County Sheriff Mark Gorbett. "It's tragic, but there's nothing she could have done."

Ferguson was thrown 100 feet from the impact, which shattered the right side of the car's windshield, authorities said.

A Lifeline helicopter was called initially, then Ferguson was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

The accident occurred about 9:40 a.m. when Ferguson merged back into the roadway after a truck passed by. Baldwin was behind the truck and attempted to swerve to miss Ferguson, Gorbett said.

Ferguson, who had a patch on one eye, most likely thought the truck was the only vehicle coming, Gorbett said.

A witness driving behind the crash told police she also saw Baldwin attempt to miss Ferguson.

Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department, Columbus Police Department, Columbus Fire Department, Columbus Regional Hospital and a Life-line helicopter responded.


Original Article

IBJ: Bicyclists and traffic laws

Early results of a police investigation suggest a 17-year-old Decatur Central High School student died this morning after he ran a red light on a bicycle and was hit by a semi.

Why Eduard Westone rode into the intersection at Kentucky Avenue and Heathrow Way is anyone’s guess. The location is an entrance to the AmeriPlex industrial park south of Indianapolis International Airport.

But the unnecessary death raises questions about bike safety in a city that’s looking to join a national trend toward getting cars off streets to reduce congestion and pollution.

It isn’t uncommon to see bicyclists running lights. Or weaving in and out of traffic, darting onto and off of sidewalks or taking any number of other risks.

Now that more bicyclists are taking to the streets, how do you feel about safety? Are too many reckless? If so, should anything be done about it?

Full article on IBJ.com

WTHR: Cyclist struck by semi on southwest side

Indianapolis - A cyclist is in critical condition after being struck by a truck Monday night.

Police say the male cyclist was struck by a semi on Kentucky Avenue and Heathrow Road on the southwest side, at the entrance to the Ameriplex Business Park. The man was crossing Kentucky Avenue when he reportedly crossed the path of the semi. The driver applied the brakes, but could not stop in time.

Witnesses say the cyclist was wearing headphones and a hoodie, which may have been a contributing factor in the crash.

Police are still investigating the scene of the accident. The cyclist was taken to Wishard Hospital.

Original Article

Fox 59: City Expanding Bike Lanes, Education

INDIANAPOLIS - Nic Nihiser remains in critical condition Wednesday, suffering from brain damage after being hit while he was riding down Delaware Street in downtown Indianapolis early Saturday. While police search for the driver who left the scene of the accident, other cyclists want to know what the city is doing to increase their safety.

Joe Shelly is one of the growing number of people in Indianapolis who commute to work by bicycle. He, like many other cyclists, enjoys the expanded bike lanes, but would like to see more.

"I think having the bike lanes and expanding on what we have now would only be good for the city," Shelly said. "It would certainly cut down of traffic congestion."

City planners say they're working on it. Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard made bicycle lanes a priority in the past year and it's already made an impact. There will be 24 miles of new lanes painted on roads by the end of the year. The 15 year master plan will feature roughly 200 miles of lanes.

As director of the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability, Karen Haley has overseen Mayor Ballard's plan. But she says the added lanes come with added responsibility.

"You have to treat the bike just like you would a car," she said.

Full Article w/ Video

Cyclist Hit & Run.

Authorities identified a 28-year-old Indianapolis man as the bicyclist critically injured this morning after being involved in a hit-and-run crash.

The accident occurred just after 3 a.m. in the 600 block of North Delaware Street. Indianapolis police found Paul Nihiser, 900 block of North Pennsylvania St., lying in the street near the bike he had been riding.

Police said witnesses indicated Nihiser was hit while riding northbound on Delaware Street by a dark-colored Chevrolet Malibu, which sped away after the accident occurred.

Nihiser was taken to Methodist Hospital with massive head injuries. Police say he is not expected to survive.

Anybody with information is requested to call Crime Stoppers at (317) 262-8477.

Indianapolis Star

IndyStar covers training crash

IndyStar wrote something of an obit/memorial article on Charles Kirk, who passed away last week from injuries sustained on a CIBA training ride. We wrote earlier in the week expressing our condolenscences. I wish the best to all of the riders who are regulars on that ride. I can't imagine the feeling of losing one of my riding pals.

Funeral services were scheduled Thursday for a 48-year-old lawyer and father who died after he crashed his bicycle in training ride last week.

Charles Avery Kirk, a graduate of North Central High School and Indiana University, will be remembered in a ceremony at North United Methodist Church, 3808 N. Meridian St.

Kirk was on a fast moving, 20-mile training ride with about 40 other cyclists last Wednesday when several riders crashed, said Tom Schumacher, a member of the Central Indiana Bicycling Association, who was on the ride.

The accident happened on the 6700 block Hoover Road near the Jewish Community Center when the group of experienced riders was rounding a turn at about 30 mph.

A rider or two at the front of the pack lost control and caused about 12 other riders to go down.

Kirk was the most seriously injured but was conscious and speaking when he was taken to the hospital, Schumacher said.

Full story here.

Tragic Loss on CIBA Broad Ripple Training Ride

I received this over the weekend. It'd be silly to think of anything other to say than our condolences from indycog to the family and friends of Mr. Kirk:

Some of you may have heard of our massive pileup that occurred along Hoover Road on Wednesday's Broad Ripple Training Ride. 10-12 bikes and riders went down at high speed in a chain reaction. There were several injuries; two individuals went to emergency rooms.

It is with great sadness to report that Charlie Kirk, the rider most injured, died early Saturday morning at Methodist Hospital. Charlie had undergone surgery for a fractured vertebrae on Friday, but died during the night. Charlie leaves behind his wife, Kerry, and two young children, 7 and 5.

All of us who rode with Charlie, as well as the entire Central Indiana bicycling community, mourn his loss. No doubt we will hear more in the days to come; please keep his family in your thoughts.

-Thomas A. Schumacher

Father, son seriously injured in Brown Co. accident

From therepublic.com:

A father and son were seriously injured Sunday afternoon when they crashed their bicycles riding down a steep hill in Brown County State Park.

According to reports from Indiana conservation officers, Ely Brizendine, 15, and his father Edward Brizendine, 44 , both of Mooresville, were heading down a hill at about 4 p.m. Sunday when one of them lost control, causing both bikes to crash.

The hill they were going down is near Strahl Valley," said Conservation Officer eff Atwood. "It is a very steep hill and there are signs at the top of it urging bikers to dismount before going down.

"It is very unfortunate that the Brizendines did not heed that advice."

The two were at Brown County State Park, along with several other members of the Mooresville High School Cross County Team, as part of a weekend training outing.

Full story here.

Any HMBA'ers out there chime in on this? I'm not a mountain biker myself and am not familiar with the trail, or really, if this is even a trail. Either way, I hope these two are okay, and as always, please be careful out there, whether it's of roots and stumps, or cars and potholes.

Cyclist struck at Meridian and 64th

Again.. careful out there everyone. From WTHR yesterday:

Indianapolis - At least one lane of Meridian Street was closed Tuesday afternoon at 64th Street after a cyclist was struck by a vehicle.

Michael Kitly, 34, was taken to a local hospital with a serious head injury. He is listed in stable condition at Wishard Hospital.

Police say the 91-year-old driver rear-ended the bicycle. No charges are expected.

I'm glad it wasn't worse than it could have been. Heal up quick, Mr. Kitly.

Also, and to prelude this, I didn't sleep well last night, so I'm a bit trigger happy, so if you're not in the mood for a tirade, stop reading here--but, can we seriously can the conjecture and suppositions on these incidences? I've already come across some on an email list about it, basically calling the cyclist stupid in so many words for being on Meridian at all.

The facts of the matter is this:

1) Even though Meridian is a major thoroughfare, cyclists are just as much vehicles with rights to the road as cars. To say that a cyclist shouldn't be on Meridian because there are better north-south corridors for cyclists (this coming from another cyclist, by the way) is just plain wrong; not to mention, this idea fails to consider that the cyclist might live on Meridian, or that he was merely crossing Meridian.

2) To say the accident could have been avoided is redudant. Of course it could have been avoided. That's inherent in the definition of "accident." Naturally, the cyclist could have been on Pennsylvania instead of Meridian, or the driver could have looked a half-second longer in the direction of the cyclist so that he would have actually noticed the cyclist and braked accordingly. But, neither of those things happened. The accident happened. There are over 6 billion people in this world, and they occasionally run into each other. One day, it'll likely happen to you. There's no reason to stoke your ego by saying that any given accident couldn't or wouldn't happen to you.

3) A cyclist was hit. And, that's never good, whether the cyclist's fault, or the driver's.

Can we stop with the asinine assumptions based off nothing other than a few short sentences that a journalist threw together based on a police scanner and a phone call to the hospital?

Can we just genuinely say, "I hope they're okay," make a mental note to be more careful both in the saddle and behind the wheel, and go on with our days?

Bike Lawyer in Indy

My uncle might be needing this. Hunt heard wind of a law firm that partly specializes in bicycle accidents here in the Indy area.

From their website:

More and more people have taken up bicycling for recreational use and, increasingly, as a primary vehicle for commuting and/or urban transportation. When bicyclists are involved in a collision with a motorized vehicle, the results are predictably serious. Our lawyers feel very strongly about protecting the rights of bicyclists. Certainly cyclists have an obligation to operate sensibly and within the law. However, when they do so, the fact they can be more difficult for other motorists to see is no excuse for not seeing them. This is especially true because they are for the most part unprotected. Bicyclists have a legal right to be on the streets, roads and highways and the failure to provide them those rights results in legal responsibility of the motorist. Since the injuries are often serious, we work closely with our clients' doctors in order to have a full and complete understanding of the extent of the injuries, the potential for recovery, the impact on wage-earning potential, and the future. We then include those factors in the evaluation we present to the insurance company or if necessary, the jury. We always develop each case on the assumption that it will go to trial, even though the insurance companies settle many of the cases we handle.