Cyclist hit by car in downtown Reno, Nevada.


Callie hit by car

Originally uploaded by i am indisposed
One thing I worry about as I ride my bike around town is getting hit by a car. That’s why I wear a hard shell bmx/freeride helmet.

The thing I worry about even more is someone I love getting hit by a car, since my wife, sisters, brother-in-law and most of my friends ride around town a lot.

That second fear materialized yesterday when I got a call from my sister saying she got T-Boned by a car on her bike. She was riding East on Fourth Street when a westbound car turning south onto Lake hit her at the front wheel. She went over the car, by far the preferable vector, hit the windshield with her helmeted head and onto the ground. Hit her head twice, both times protected by the helmet. She said she remembered the impacts and that they didn’t hurt at all. The helmet is in ok shape. Scuffed and cracked a little. Certainly needs to be replaced.

The driver and several others stopped immeadiately, called police and EMTs. They patched her up with bandages, though she wasn’t actually bleeding anywhere. Everything on the wrap-up went well. The driver got a ticket and has insurance.

Her bike is a little messed up. The front wheel bearings are running rough indicating a bent axle, which means that the carbon forks are ruined. The rear wheel is out of true and the driveside chainstay is bent. Various other scratches and scuffs, but not horrible. She can’t ride it at least.

I had prepared a lecture for her about wearing a helmet, but thankfully she had already started wearing one regularly. For those of you who think a helmet can’t help you in a car-bike collision: you’re dead fucking wrong.

-M