20 replies to this topic Post Order

[BrianMTB]

Hi Hubbers

I heard from my girlfriend (who was participating) that 2 cyclists were knocked down today by a bakkie towing a caravan during the Stonehaven IFM Cycle Challenge. She told me that just a few minutes before the incident took place the driver had hooted other cyclists and intentionally tried to run them off the road.

Does anyone have any news on what happened and if the cyclists were okay?

The driver should be criminally charged, reckless and negligent driving, assault with intent, assault with a deadly weapon, reckless endangerment and attempted murder spring to mind.

Brian

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Hmm, where about was it, I often used to do the races out there at Stonehaven and if it was out towards Ertjiesberg the roads are really bad in my opinion, narrow, potholed and the edge is badly crumbled so riding on the side of the road means that all of a sudden the road just disappears and you have to swerve in to stay on blacktop, they were also usually very poorly marshaled.

Of course its no excuse for negligence or knocking someone down, but sometimes there are other factors involved.

[Fester]

BrianMTB, on 08 January 2012 - 08:22 , said:

Hi Hubbers

... assault with intent, assault with a deadly weapon, reckless endangerment and attempted murder spring to mind.

That's over dramatic.Perhaps just an accident and we're a bit sensitive after the week's tragic event. I'm sure the driver would not have stopped to face the music if he intended to run them over. When we passed the scene the rider was on the ground and paramedics were attending to him. He was sitting up and seemed okay, with some bruises on his upper body. The road users were friendly,
patient today, passing wide enough, waiting for our group to turn at the turn around point. thankfully. Front groups stayed together and somewhat hogged the road.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Fester, on 08 January 2012 - 08:51 , said:

That's over dramatic.Perhaps just an accident and we're a bit sensitive after the week's tragic event. I'm sure the driver would not have stopped to face the music if he intended to run them over. When we passed the scene the rider was on the ground and paramedics were attending to him. He was sitting up and seemed okay, with some bruises on his upper body. The road users were friendly,
patient today, passing wide enough, waiting for our group to turn at the turn around point. thankfully. Front groups stayed together and somewhat hogged the road.

Nice sensible answer Fester, I doubt very much the driver went out this morning with the intention of knocking over a few cyclists, accidents happen, that's why they are called "accidents",... no need for all the drama!.

[Puncheur]

Oh no!


Hope they're okay.

Edited by ' Dale, 08 January 2012 - 09:18 .

[Fester]

GrumpyOldGuy, on 08 January 2012 - 08:49 , said:

Hmm, where about was it, I often used to do the races out there at Stonehaven...

Accident happened about 5km from the finish on the R57 Sasolburg.

Edited by Fester, 08 January 2012 - 09:19 .

[rudi-h]

That's no venue for racing. Organisers should be prohibited to organise a race on such narrow busy roads without any closure.

Very sad news, but sometimes the organisers are to blame a little too, not only motorists.

[djvr]

rudi-h, on 08 January 2012 - 09:34 , said:

That's no venue for racing. Organisers should be prohibited to organise a race on such narrow busy roads without any closure.

Very sad news, but sometimes the organisers are to blame a little too, not only motorists.

How can you say that about the venue. I have done many races from this venue and this is the first accident that I know of.
I always enjoy the races from this venue eventhough there are no timing and due to the low entry fee compared to other races.
I have never felt unsafe on the various routes the organisers use from this venue.

A friend of mine got taken out by a caravan in front of me(thankfully not serious). The driver came back from holiday, was tired from driving and forgot that the caravan is wider than his car. Accident. Cant blame organisers for that

[scotty]

Fester, on 08 January 2012 - 08:51 , said:

That's over dramatic.Perhaps just an accident and we're a bit sensitive after the week's tragic event. I'm sure the driver would not have stopped to face the music if he intended to run them over.

She told me that just a few minutes before the incident took place the driver had hooted other cyclists and intentionally tried to run them off the road.

Might not have meant it to happen, appears the driver wanted more to scare the cyclists but in doing so caused the accident.

[rudi-h]

djvr, on 08 January 2012 - 09:58 , said:

How can you say that about the venue. I have done many races from this venue and this is the first accident that I know of.
I always enjoy the races from this venue eventhough there are no timing and due to the low entry fee compared to other races.
I have never felt unsafe on the various routes the organisers use from this venue.

A friend of mine got taken out by a caravan in front of me(thankfully not serious). The driver came back from holiday, was tired from driving and forgot that the caravan is wider than his car. Accident. Cant blame organisers for that

Because i've driven past there as a motorist while a race was going on. Its not a safe road to cycle without road closure. Thats just how it is.

[BrianMTB]

Fester, on 08 January 2012 - 08:51 , said:

That's over dramatic.Perhaps just an accident and we're a bit sensitive after the week's tragic event. I'm sure the driver would not have stopped to face the music if he intended to run them over. When we passed the scene the rider was on the ground and paramedics were attending to him. He was sitting up and seemed okay, with some bruises on his upper body. The road users were friendly,
patient today, passing wide enough, waiting for our group to turn at the turn around point. thankfully. Front groups stayed together and somewhat hogged the road.

Hi Fester and everyone

Thanks for you replies. Perhaps a touch dramatic seeing as I wasn't present myself. But when I hear my girlfriend's account of it (that the driver hooted at cyclists and appeared to laugh at them when they were startled) it suggests to me that this was not a simple accident.

The driver apparently did attempt to leave the scene but was prevented from doing so by one of the witnesses present.

If it was purely an accident, then hopefully all involved learned from it. If it was more than that, I'd like to see some real consequences.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

djvr, on 08 January 2012 - 09:58 , said:

How can you say that about the venue. I have done many races from this venue and this is the first accident that I know of.
I always enjoy the races from this venue eventhough there are no timing and due to the low entry fee compared to other races.
I have never felt unsafe on the various routes the organisers use from this venue.

A friend of mine got taken out by a caravan in front of me(thankfully not serious). The driver came back from holiday, was tired from driving and forgot that the caravan is wider than his car. Accident. Cant blame organisers for that

The venue (Stonehaven) is fine, very nice actually, but the route to Ertjiesberg is not in my opinion fit for racing, the roads are narrow and severely dilapidated. The route going the other way towards Sasol is a bit better I think, fractionally, but still a little better.

I also agree with Scotty that perhaps the driver was hooting to make the cyclists aware he was coming through with a wide load, a reasonable sized caravan on those narrow roads will without a doubt protrude out to or over the white line, even on normal driving, so with traffic in both directions (yesterday was a busy traffic day with holiday makers returning home) and cyclists on the road, I also think he may have simply been trying to make people aware.

[Seeker911]

GrumpyOldGuy, on 08 January 2012 - 08:49 , said:

Hmm, where about was it, I often used to do the races out there at Stonehaven and if it was out towards Ertjiesberg the roads are really bad in my opinion, narrow, potholed and the edge is badly crumbled so riding on the side of the road means that all of a sudden the road just disappears and you have to swerve in to stay on blacktop, they were also usually very poorly marshaled.

Of course its no excuse for negligence or knocking someone down, but sometimes there are other factors involved.

+1

I did a few races out there. Nice to stay over and relax but must agree marshalling not very good, timing none existent and just something I no longer partake in

[Lucky Luke.]

BrianMTB, on 09 January 2012 - 08:08 , said:

If it was purely an accident, then hopefully all involved learned from it. If it was more than that, I'd like to see some real consequences.

I agree, there are idiots out there who drive like this, I've seen it in training and in races. Threads like this mystify me the way cyclists seem compelled to immediately question the story submitted by another cyclist and make apologies for behavior that amounts to assault with a deadly weapon.

Witnesses should step forward and make sure idiots like this are made an example of, go straight to jail and lose their licenses for life.

[Fester]

Lucky Luke., on 09 January 2012 - 08:30 , said:

.. Threads like this mystify me the way cyclists seem compelled to immediately question the story submitted by another cyclist and make apologies for behavior that amounts to assault with a deadly weapon...

True, I'm one of those offering another theory to the event. Brian's version (no harm meant, Brian) is hear say. So unless the eyewitness comes forward with the truth, we can all just speculate?
Some years ago I saw a kid got knocked off his bike on the 70km Sun City race by a tour bus. The kid swerved uncontrolably into the lane while the bus driver was not at fault. Had I not spoken up, the bus driver would have been crucified. Bet the story at the finish line sounded different to the truth.

Edited by Fester, 09 January 2012 - 09:40 .

[Gaza]

I was at the event and this caravaner, came passed us very, very close, it was another cyclist, myself and tandem partner riding just inside the yellow line. This guy hoots when he's right next to us, fortunately I moved slightly left cause the caravan was a little wider than the car and that just missed us. There was NO oncoming traffic so NO reason to be so close. Where the accident took place it was a double lane road with a nice wide yellow line area, and the roads where not busy, so again no reason to get close to the riders at all.
This driver was just being a Doos, I wish there was a way to prove intent and have some charges laid against him.
It was my first time out there and the roads and venue are great on the route we did, my Tandem partner did say the route was new?