Friday, February 01, 2008

Bicycle Pusher In Dark Clothing Killed in Mantua

From the Courier Post:

A man (Jagtar Singh) was struck as he pushed a bicycle along Woodbury-Glassboro Road near Lambs Road shortly after 5:30 a.m., officials said. The man was wearing dark clothing.

The motorist, Richard Mack, 49, of Pitman, stopped and called 9-1-1, police said.

Police are still investigating the accident. Anyone with information is asked to call township police at (856) 468-19

Once again the article is quick to blame the victim, while the motorist is practically commended for doing what he is supposed to do.

One oddity, quite often bicyclists struck in the dark are often described as pushing the bike when they are struck.




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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If the pedestrian was at the side of the road this driver's got no excuse, particularly if he was able to tell that the ped was pushing the bike before he clobbered him.

But also look at the road! It's auto dominated, bike/ped meatgrinder!

John, I'm curious as to why bicyclists struck in the dark are often described as pushing the bike when they are struck. I've never heard that one before. If the victim was riding then the driver of the car would have a better a legal leg to stand on. Pushing the bike and therefor becoming a pedestrian and not a vehicle, eliminates the nighttime lighting requirements. This would make the driver more responsible for what happened. If anything the driver would be better off saying that the victim was riding his bike sans lights.

Anonymous said...

It seems to me that the coalition does little to promote enforcement of existing bicycle lanes and laws, and it upsets me. I am MUCH more concerned about this critical safety issue than I am about bicycle sharing and other measures that seem to take up a lot of effort.