Elderly Cyclist Back Ended by Incautious Driver

[XLFD]

A bicycle accident happened over the weekend, and both area news outlets, the Mason County Press and the City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews) both reported on them on Monday, grouping them together with a motorcycle accident where the driver lost control on his own, since both were airlifted out to Grand Rapids.  Here are the news reports: 

 

"The first incident [on Sunday, July 14] took place around 1 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 31 and Hoague Road in Free Soil Township. Bicyclist William Matson, 81, Saginaw was travelling south on U.S. 31 and was attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Hoague Road when he and his bike were struck by a pickup driven by Patrick Barrett of Paw Paw. Barrett was also travelling south on 31. Matson was transported by Aeromed helicopter from the scene to Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids.

Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Grant Township Fire Department, Free Soil/Meade Fire Department and Life EMS responded."

http://www.masoncountypress.com/2013/07/15/accident-victims-taken-t...

 

"Around 1 p.m. Sunday, William Francis Matson, 81, of Saginaw attempted a left turn onto eastbound Hoague Road after what was described as a quick hand signal and a turn into the path of a Chevy 1500 pickup truck driven by Patrick Barrett, 61, Paw Paw, traveling southbound on U.S. 31, according to a report by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.

Matson was airlifted from the scene of the accident by AeroMed to Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids with severe injuries.

http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news/72137-two-airlifted-in-separ...

 

There are subtle differences in the reports,so let's review the scene, here is the view of US 31 coming down to Hoague Road travelling south:

 

The red line shows effectively the probable path of this cyclist in turning east on Hoague Road.  What we don't see behind this is the tail end of an S-curve, where cars usually come around going over 55 mph.  The news reports don't make it totally clear where the bicyclist was hit, but both make the presumption that the bicyclist was turning left/east, so the cyclist must have been out in the lane where the red line ends.  It takes a bicyclist of 81 years a bit of time to get from the shoulder to where he was hit at-- he crossed a go-around shoulder to get where he was hit-- covering a bit of ground. 

 

 

Left hand turning from a highway on a bicycle is rarely safe no matter what the level of skill and age the cyclist is, but like all bicyclists, they are often at the mercy of those behind them making sane choices.  The driver, 61 years old himself, had two lanes to avail himself of, and not a whole lot of time to make a decision.  He was travelling probably four times quicker, and could have figured out, if he slowed down a bit, that the cyclist was coming out on the travel lane to make a turn across, and had a whole lane to pass on the right.  The cyclist even had made a hand signal according to the COLDNews, and he may have presumed motorists would pass him on the right.

 

So why did the driver not use the go-around lane, that was open?  The pundits of the Mason County Sheriff's Office said after the cyclist signalled his intent, the cyclist turned into the path of the truck.  I think it is fairly obvious that the truck's driver failed to yield the right-of-way to the bicyclist, who signalled and was going down the road lawfully.  The truck driver passed on the left when it was illegal to do so.  The truck's driver, Patrick Barrett of Paw Paw, should be held accountable for his actions.