New Orleans Cyclist Hit by 18 Wheeler then SUV

[blacknessofsleep]

Info from facebook: "I was there. The cyclist was operating legally in the cycling lane, going in THE CORRECT direction of traffic on St. Claude, crossing Elysian Fields on St. Claude. The truck driver DID NOT check for cyclists, pedestrians, or other traffic and made a right turn.

I was behind the truck and saw everything. I saw that guy's lower leg pop away from his left knee. I saw the look of panic and confusion on his face as he was pulled under the wheels by his bike and how the wheel ran over his chest and his head exploded and his brains popped out..."

Here's the article from NOLA.com:

A 52-year-old male cyclist was killed Thursday afternoon after being struck and run over by a turning tractor-trailer truck near the intersection of St. Claude and Elysian Fields avenues in the Marigny.

New Orleans police said the incident occurred at about 1:40 p.m. The victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was not identified, pending notification of relatives.

The truck driver, identified only as a 51-year-old man from Violet, was neither arrested nor cited.

Police said their investigation was ongoing, and that blood test results to determine if impairment was a factor were pending.

Victor Pizarro, who was driving about two car lengths behind the truck as it turned from the upriver direction of St. Claude Avenue onto lakebound Elysian Fields, said he witnessed the man's gruesome death just seconds after the cyclist rode past.

"I'm in complete state of shock," Pizarro said. "The cyclist passed me on the right in the bike lane on St. Claude as I was coming up behind the turning truck. I thought, 'Oh, I hope he's sees the truck turning,' and then I saw he tried to brake.

"But then the rear wheel of his bike got caught under the third or fourth set of the truck's wheels, and he kind of got sucked under."

Pizarro said he saw nothing to indicate the truck driver had seen the cyclist coming before making his wide turn. But he did witness horrific injuries as the tractor-trailer's wheels rolled over the fallen cyclist.

"The look on his face was excruciating pain and confusion," he said. "Some things you can never un-see. ... I just hope that NOPD and everyone takes it seriously, because this is happening too often."

Several witnesses, including New Orleans artist Lance Vargas, reported seeing the mutilated victim sprawled face-down in the middle of lakebound Elysian Fields Avenue for several minutes before being shielded from public view and removed from the scene.

"It's a very troubling thing to see," Vargas said. "I think, as a cyclist, you almost always understand that even if you have the right-of-way, you have to be very defensive about what's going on around you.

"I don't know the circumstances of this accident or who was at fault, but it doesn't really matter any more. It matters to the person in the truck, for the trauma they must live with. But for the cyclist who is unfortunately no longer with us, right or wrong is not going to matter to him."

Pizarro said the truck driver appeared distraught when faced with what occurred.

"He was traumatized, he was upset as (expletive)," Pizarro said. "But I think it's important that people know what happened, because people are dying. People have to understand that human beings are dying from drivers not checking their mirrors. That's what they've got to learn."

On April 11, Atlanta firefighter Frank Guinn was killed and his brother-in-law Andrew Powell seriously injured while cycling in the 20000 block of Chef Menteur Highway in preparation for the New Orleans Ochsner IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon. Howard Vidrine of Gretna was booked with negligent homicide, negligent injury, driving on a suspended driver's license and reckless operation of a motor vehicle in connection with that incident.

Vargas said such deaths are grim reminders of the vulnerability of bike operators when in close proximity to bigger, heavier vehicles, despite state laws mandating a minimum 3 feet of clearance.

"As a cyclist, it's very easy to lose yourself in where you're going, what your husband or wife last said to you, who just opened a door and nearly hit you, whatever," he said. "But if you take your mind off where you're at for even a second, something can happen that changes lives forever."

A meeting and mass bike ride by cycling advocates in response to the incident was planned for Friday at 6 p.m., starting at Cafe Flora at the corner of Royal Street and Franklin Avenue, organizers said.

Attorney Charlie Thomas, the Louisiana delegate for the national cycling safety advocacy organization BikeLaw, said New Orleans must continue striving for greater cyclist-motorist safety on shared roadways.

"Although Mayor Landrieu's administration has prioritized the planning and implementation of shared roadways and bicycle lanes," Thomas said, "tragedies like this demonstrate that our community still has room for improvement in reducing dangerous situations that lead to horrific consequences."

And here is a link from a Facebook user who witnessed it

If the pictures get taken down or it goes private, here's an Imgur link

[Sharon]

Thanks for your post

Please could you include the story and upload the images in your thread as not everyone here has a Facebook account and sometimes articles are removed from sites leaving your efforts redundant.

I've uploaded it all in this case for you as you've no edit feature.

Thanks

[vagabond]

How awful, for both men

[Bletch]

Sad

[Spiffyfable]

Splat

[blancadon]

What a way to go.

[gregforbes]

bicyclists think they own the road. He should have had more sense than to get that close to a big truck. Darwinism at work. I COULD say that if he was riding a bicycle in that part of New Orleans he was probably a queer so who cares but I would never say that because it is insensitive and I might run for president when I am old enough.

[Kelseecat65]

Poor guy

[elizajane]

Canny see nuttin...

[mrfuzzybagels]

Entirely the cyclists fault. You dont pass a truck on the right if its turning.