LPD Calls A BMP Accident Right

[XLFD]

It's been a good week for the LPD's rank and file.  They suppressed a potential situation out on North Delia along with the MCSO by utilizing a SERT team to capture a madman who shot LPD Officer Dave Maltbie.  Fortunately, it wasn't fatal and Dave is busy recuperating at home according to this San Francisco paper.

But that wasn't what started this week.  On Sunday, shortly after 1:00 PM, a SUV-bicycle accident took place, where the bicycle ran into the SUV at the intersection of Harrison and Ludington.  And it wasn't investigated and reported to be the bicyclist's fault.  The SUV was claimed to be at fault for violating the bicyclist's right of way and was cited for it.  You heard right.

 

The Bicyclist Ryan Johnson was heading north on Harrison and the motorist Donald Johns was headed south on that street, both were waiting for the light to change.  When it did, Donald, apparently in a hurry or thinking that Ryan was not starting up fast enough (motorists, that's one reason why bicyclists do not like to stop if it can be avoided) pulled in front of him.  Ryan and Donald made it to the same place in Ryan's lane, where Donald should not have traveled into.

 

Some may say, why didn't Ryan yield when he saw the car coming across?  That might be good defensive riding but that can't always happen, particularly when you are doing all the mechanical stuff to get up to speed.  And he did have a right to the road and use it, as per MCL 257.657.  Fortunately, he should recover.

 

LPD's McMellen and Steve Wietrzkowski responded to the accident, and made out the report.  And even though Steve could have called it an unfortunate accident, he saw that it was a right of way violation, and cited the driver, Donald.  Furthermore the LPD officers did a good deed for cyclist Ryan who was taken to the hospital.  They took Ryan's bicycle back to the police station for safe keeping and let Ryan and his wife aware that they could pick it up from there at anytime. 

Great job all around guys. 

Police report.pdf

[XLFD]

Kudos once again to the Ludington Police Department for protecting the rights of BMP (bicyclists/motorcyclists/pedestrians) to legally use the road, and ticketing those motorists that fail to yield that right to them properly.  Another BMP accident on the corner of Harrison and Ludington called right.