My Brother Got Hit By a Car!
I am the cyclevangelist (pronounced "sike-la-vangelist", thank you Steve) that convinced my older brother Spencer to convert to cycling.
I'm proud of that, because he has lost a ton of weight, he almost never drives a car anymore, and he has become one heck of a good rider. It seems like we're always riding in opposite directions these days, but every once in a while we still have a chance to get in a spin together.
Spencer is a regular bike commuter. He rides from 91st and Yale to his job at 21st and Mingo—quite a haul. Sometimes he rides to north Tulsa to check on a house he owns there. Then he'll meander over to mid-town to check on mom. When the city hosts a reception for bike commuters, he rides downtown, then heads to work. The guy's a freak, averaging 50 miles a day.
Tuesday evening, he got hit by a car. Spencer was crossing at the light near 51st and Riverside Drive. The river trail is being rebuilt between 31st and 51st, so we have to cross Riverside and buzz through the neighborhoods for a couple of miles. Fortunately, there is a light at 51st, so we can safely cross using the lights and a wide crosswalk. This particular evening, as Spencer was making his way across, a car refused to stop. When the driver saw Spencer, he slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop. Spencer swerved to avoid him, but was unable to. The driver clipped Spencer's rear wheel, knocking him to the ground. Up until this point, it was merely a case of an inattentive driver—we've all driven into a crosswalk before. The driver might be looking at a ticket. But then he became a felon, when he sped away from the scene. Spencer, perhaps driven by adrenaline, and the thought that he might be able to catch up with the driver and get a tag number, got back on his bike and took off in pursuit. The driver must has seen him coming, because he blew right through the red light at the next intersection. So much for getting his tag.
Spencer stopped and checked himself and his bike—other than a couple of bumps and bruises, he seemed okay. So he climbed back on, and made his way down the trail toward home. There were few people out on the trail—it was pretty chilly, and after dark. Spencer was approaching the 71st Street parking lot, he noticed a man walking toward him. As they passed each other, the man threw a shoulder hard into Spencer's side, and knocked him off his bike and into a tree. Shocked, he looked up to find the man bending down, right in his face, saying, "how tough are you now, mother f****r?!
It was the driver of the hit and run vehicle. He made a premeditated decision to leave the road, leave his car, and once again assault my brother. Spencer stood up, got in his face, and it was on. They were yelling at each other, the man begging Spencer to hit him. He insisted that it was not his fault, that Spencer should not have been in the intersection. Finally, Spencer decided to call 911. Even while the driver was trying to rip the phone from Spencer's hand, he gave a description of the assailant to the operator, who could hear the man screaming obscenities into the phone. Although he tried to prevent Spencer from seeing the tag, Spencer was able to give the tag number and a complete description of the car to 911. They immediately dispatched two units to the area.
Once off the phone, the man said he was leaving. Spencer, almost as if trying to spare the man further anguish, tried to convince him to stay. He told him, "look, you've already left the scene of one accident. Leaving the scene again will only make matters worse." The guy wouldn't listen, got in his car, and sped away. Five minutes later, the police arrived.
As providence would have it, the officer was a cyclist. He took a statement from Spencer, checked out his injuries (amazingly, they were relatively minor), and went over his bicycle to make sure it was in good working order. Spencer called Barb to tell her what happened, and like the smart gal that she is, insisted that he wait there until she could come and pick him up. Of course, my crazy brother wanted to ride the last ten miles home! Barb won, and picked him up to take him home.
Lisa, me, Barb, and Spencer this Summer at the Tidal School Winery
Now, several things come to mind as a result of this story.
I'm proud of that, because he has lost a ton of weight, he almost never drives a car anymore, and he has become one heck of a good rider. It seems like we're always riding in opposite directions these days, but every once in a while we still have a chance to get in a spin together.
Spencer is a regular bike commuter. He rides from 91st and Yale to his job at 21st and Mingo—quite a haul. Sometimes he rides to north Tulsa to check on a house he owns there. Then he'll meander over to mid-town to check on mom. When the city hosts a reception for bike commuters, he rides downtown, then heads to work. The guy's a freak, averaging 50 miles a day.
Tuesday evening, he got hit by a car. Spencer was crossing at the light near 51st and Riverside Drive. The river trail is being rebuilt between 31st and 51st, so we have to cross Riverside and buzz through the neighborhoods for a couple of miles. Fortunately, there is a light at 51st, so we can safely cross using the lights and a wide crosswalk. This particular evening, as Spencer was making his way across, a car refused to stop. When the driver saw Spencer, he slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop. Spencer swerved to avoid him, but was unable to. The driver clipped Spencer's rear wheel, knocking him to the ground. Up until this point, it was merely a case of an inattentive driver—we've all driven into a crosswalk before. The driver might be looking at a ticket. But then he became a felon, when he sped away from the scene. Spencer, perhaps driven by adrenaline, and the thought that he might be able to catch up with the driver and get a tag number, got back on his bike and took off in pursuit. The driver must has seen him coming, because he blew right through the red light at the next intersection. So much for getting his tag.
Spencer stopped and checked himself and his bike—other than a couple of bumps and bruises, he seemed okay. So he climbed back on, and made his way down the trail toward home. There were few people out on the trail—it was pretty chilly, and after dark. Spencer was approaching the 71st Street parking lot, he noticed a man walking toward him. As they passed each other, the man threw a shoulder hard into Spencer's side, and knocked him off his bike and into a tree. Shocked, he looked up to find the man bending down, right in his face, saying, "how tough are you now, mother f****r?!
It was the driver of the hit and run vehicle. He made a premeditated decision to leave the road, leave his car, and once again assault my brother. Spencer stood up, got in his face, and it was on. They were yelling at each other, the man begging Spencer to hit him. He insisted that it was not his fault, that Spencer should not have been in the intersection. Finally, Spencer decided to call 911. Even while the driver was trying to rip the phone from Spencer's hand, he gave a description of the assailant to the operator, who could hear the man screaming obscenities into the phone. Although he tried to prevent Spencer from seeing the tag, Spencer was able to give the tag number and a complete description of the car to 911. They immediately dispatched two units to the area.
Once off the phone, the man said he was leaving. Spencer, almost as if trying to spare the man further anguish, tried to convince him to stay. He told him, "look, you've already left the scene of one accident. Leaving the scene again will only make matters worse." The guy wouldn't listen, got in his car, and sped away. Five minutes later, the police arrived.
As providence would have it, the officer was a cyclist. He took a statement from Spencer, checked out his injuries (amazingly, they were relatively minor), and went over his bicycle to make sure it was in good working order. Spencer called Barb to tell her what happened, and like the smart gal that she is, insisted that he wait there until she could come and pick him up. Of course, my crazy brother wanted to ride the last ten miles home! Barb won, and picked him up to take him home.
Lisa, me, Barb, and Spencer this Summer at the Tidal School Winery
Now, several things come to mind as a result of this story.
- You car drivers are crazy! Please, please be mindful of cyclists. Stop before the crosswalks, keep your eyes open, and be patient. We won't slow you down for more than a few seconds, and then you can be on your way. In the long run, you'll get there faster because there are fewer cars on the road.
- I hope they catch this jackass. And when they do, I hope he goes to jail, where he becomes the human equivalent of a caramel apple. And, I hope that Spencer sues his ass good.
- I'm glad Spencer is okay. This could have turned out much worse. (Thank you Lord, for looking out for my big brother this week. I really appreciate it). Spencer is a very careful, very attentive rider. But as I've said before, sometimes that's just not enough.
- Finally, until they catch the guy, frankly, I'm a little concerned. Not for Spencer—he's off the bike for a while—he is pretty sore, and his ears are still ringing. I'm concerned for me, because he and I look a little bit alike, especially in a bike kit, and if that guy is still out there, he might not be able to tell the difference. Of course, I'm taller. And better looking. That ought to help.
PLEASE don't mention this to mom. Seriously, if she finds out, she will worry, and that's not good for her already fragile health.
Also, she won't let us ride our bikes to work anymore.
Spencer, you're so tough! Glad to hear you're okay!
Dad, all of the women in your life are "car drivers", so watch your mouth, MISTER! I love you!
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That's a frightening story. Let's hope the police find this guy and prosecute him. And let's be thankful that his type is very rare on our streets.
Please do a follow up on this if any new information is available.
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You got it, Ed. I will post an update when one becomes available.
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There's some advice from Malcolm McCollum about similar situations on CycleDog (http://cycledog.blogspot.com/)
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Thanks for the link Ed. The advice is extremely helpful. I'm working on reducing my reaction to aggressive drivers, but every once in a while, it is really hard. If someone hits me, I want it to be 100% their fault. The cold and windy weather has really helped curb my negative attitude toward aggressive drivers. I am moving a little slower, and I think to myself, "I don't really blame them for passing me."
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Jason,
I am so glad to hear Spencer walked away from this incident in one piece. It sounds like it could have been so much worse. For that guy to come back and get out of his car to come after your brother is unbelievable. I hope some action can be taken against this dangerous individual.
Tell Spencer to be careful and you be careful as you ride. Your mother won't hear anything from me.
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