Bicycle Austin forum

tomwald

Moderator

From: 78722

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 290

"Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/ … sport.html

Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane
By Mark Lisheron | Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 12:05 PM

UPDATE:

The Texas Department of Public Safety is asking for witnesses to help with the investigation into a collision this morning that injured a Cedar Park couple, one of them critically, while they were riding a two person bicycle

Angie Hughes, 31, was in critical condition this afternoon at University Medical Center at Brackenridge, according to DPS spokesman Lisa Block. Samuel Hughes, 47, Hughes' husband, was in fair condition at Brackenridge.

Susan Madson, 54, of Cedar Park, the driver of a 2005 Dodge Stratus that collided with the bicycle, was not hurt, Block said.

The Dodge Stratus and the bicycle were southbound on Parmer Lane at Dallas Drive at 5:50 a.m. when the collision occurred, Block said. Accident investigators are trying to determine what might have caused the crash

No charges have been filed in connection with the collision, Block said.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/will … armer_lane

Driver hits two cyclists on Parmer Lane
No details concerning cyclists' conditions

Updated: Tuesday, 03 Nov 2009, 11:16 AM CST
Published : Tuesday, 03 Nov 2009, 8:07 AM CST

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) - A couple of lanes on West Parmer Lane were shut down just north of McNeil Road Tuesday morning after two cyclists were hit, according to the Williamson County Sheriff's Office .

Williamson County Detective John Foster said a driver hit the two cyclists around 6 a.m. close to the intersection of Dallas and Parmer at the 7000 block of West Parmer Lane . Texas Department of Public Safety officials said 54-year-old Susan Madson, who was driving a Dodge Stratus, struck the bicyclists.

The cyclists were husband and wife Samuel and Angie Hughes. Samuel is in fair condition. Angie is in critical condition at Brackenridge Medical Center.

Please feel free to reply here with news updates.

UPDATE(S):
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/will … armer_lane

Last edited by tomwald (2009-11-03 18:07:08)

McChris

Member

From: Blackland

Registered: 2008-10-31

Posts: 36

Website

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

Yo, I just saw that one of the cyclists has a letter discussing the collision over on One Les Car.
http://onelescar.blogspot.com/2009/11/a … armer.html

ParmerSurvivor

Member

Registered: 2010-01-05

Posts: 14

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

I have been looking for an Austin Bike blog and finally ran across this and low and behold here is our article!!!  Here is an update staight from the victim.

It was 9 weeks ago today Angi and I woke up in the ER at Brackenridge and the progress she has made is amazing.  First of all it is a miracle that either of us are alive, but especially her, she came very close to bleeding to death due to a massive cut on the back of her left leg.  Then the second mriacle is that she is not paralyzed and has lost no use of any fingers, toes, arms or legs.

Her broken neck, which they had to fuse 2 vertebrae toghter, is healing perfectly and was transferred from the hard collar to a soft callor just yesterday,and she is extatic.  The compression fractures in her back will just have to heal on their own and the cut on her leg is nearly healed.

I was ery lucky in receiving only broken ribs, major bruising and a split open scalp.  I flew over the car with the bike, where as Angi went directly into the car's windshield and then bounced off over they guard rail

This Friday we will joyfully be celebrating our 25 wedding anniversary, I am sorry to say the report of her being 31 is incorrect.  She did like the thought of being 31 and I liked the thought of having a 31 year old wife!!!! :)  I am not that much of a stud.  :)

Much to the dismay of many people we come in contact with, we will be back on a tandem hopefully in May or June, or soon as her neck and back will allow.

Thanks to all for any thoguhts or prayers that were said for us, I know they helped.  We were spared for a reason and we are looking and watching for that reason so we can make a difference somewhere.

WEAR YOUR HELMETS, THEY SAVED US FOR SURE.

ParmerSurvivor

Member

Registered: 2010-01-05

Posts: 14

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

One other note on the cause of the accident.  2005 Dodge Stratos driving on the shoulder!!!!!!!  We had 2 sets of flashing lights on our backs and a working and approved head light, reflective  clothing and were closer to the right edge of the shoulder than the left edge and over there minding our own business going to work!!!!

dougmc

Administrator

Registered: 2008-06-01

Posts: 631

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

Glad to hear you two are healing up ...

What happened to the guy who hit you two?   I imagine you two probably maxed out his insurance within a day -- what's happening with your medical bills beyond that?

ParmerSurvivor

Member

Registered: 2010-01-05

Posts: 14

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

She got a ticket for driving on the shoulder.  Big whooop!!! 

Luckily we have good health insurance because she has state minimum liability insurance!!!!  Most importantly though we didn't have to use our life insurance on one or both of us, so having my wife here still is worth paying our deductables and max out of pocket for a couple years.

We did get a property settlement though to get a new tandem and all the stuff we had with us on the bike for work.

m1ek

Member

Registered: 2008-06-02

Posts: 153

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

You have no idea if the helmets actually saved your life - just like how when I rode down to New Braunfels shirtless years ago and ended up doing a Superman over the handlebars, ripping off much of my chest hair in the process, I actually can't claim that my chest hair saved my life. Both claims are completely unsupported unless you can repeat the same exact collision with a control group that (isn't wearing helmet) or (doesn't have hairy chest), and do it enough times to be statistically valid.

If helmets worked anywhere near as well as theorized, on the other hand, we'd have seen a major drop in cycling head injuries and deaths as the usage of helmets has risen across the entire population (numbers large enough to draw some conclusions, unlike our anectdotes). Unfortunately, in the US as in every other country, such a trend is actually not possible to detect.

ParmerSurvivor

Member

Registered: 2010-01-05

Posts: 14

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

Fine, I don't know that they saved our lives, but I will live in a bubble and think they did and it makes me feel better about the $80 I spent on them.  But I will continue to wear mine even with no clincal or statistcal proof that they did.  We are alive and that is all that really matters.

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

ParmerSurvivor, thank you very much for sharing your story with all of us.  I'm very happy to hear that you both survived this, and I'm impressed that you intend to keep riding.  I'm sorry to say that I'm not surprised that the driver got only a slap on the wrist for nearly killing you.  That's par for the course, I'm afraid, not just in Austin, but everywhere in the U.S.  The phenomenon is so common there's actually been some study of it.

Please don't be put off by some of the comments you may see in the forums.  This is supposed to be a place for friendly dialogue, but unfortunately sometimes it's not so friendly.  Don't take it personally, and I do hope you'll stick around and participate.

cycling74

Member

Registered: 2008-09-28

Posts: 61

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

How's that old saying go? Something like, "If you want to legally kill somebody in Texas, make sure they're riding a bicycle when you do it"......

ParmerSurvivor

Member

Registered: 2010-01-05

Posts: 14

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

Michael,

Thanks for the encouragement.  I plan to stick around now that I have found this forum.  I have looked several times over the past few years for a biking forum and it is nice to have found one for our community.

I have ridden on Parmer many, many, many times over the last 11+ years without incident and even though it is a very busy rode I have never felt 'unsafe' or 'at risk' becasue if I had I would never have put my wife out there in harms way.  She even felt 'safe' and was enjoying riding to work a few days a week.  We had just ridden 40 miles in the Outlaw ride the week before, a new record for her, and she wasn't even tired.  Oh well we will be back in shape again in a few months, hopefully she will be able to ride again in May or June.

ParmerSurvivor

Member

Registered: 2010-01-05

Posts: 14

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

The wife went back to work a week ago today.  SHe is extatic to be back out in the real world and not having to wear her neck brace/collar any more.  She is working on getting her range of motion back in her neck and her leg still has not fully healed, but she is getting there.

Still no driving either.

Thanks everyone for you thoughts and prayers!!!!

Last edited by ParmerSurvivor (2010-02-08 18:30:32)

ParmerSurvivor

Member

Registered: 2010-01-05

Posts: 14

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

If anyone still looks at this thread, Monday will be our 5 year anniversary!!!  What a thing to celebrate huh!!!??   :)  We are still riding.  We finally, in 2013, fulfilled our goal to ride in them BP MS150, three years later than planned, but we still did it!!!  We still have pain everyday and will forever I guess, but we are not dead or in a wheelchair.  We still ride on Parmer and ride to work occasionally. 

If you see a yellow Rans Seavo recumbent tandem, that is us!!!!  Not many of those around so you can't miss us!!! Or a single on a red Baccchetta Strada, that is me.  We probably would not be riding if we hadn't converted to recumbents.  The neck, back, butt and arm pains have been eliminated, only get leg pain now!!! :)

RedFalcon

Member

Registered: 2013-10-10

Posts: 233

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

ParmerSurvivor, I love the user name! I wish I had chosen it.  I cross Parmer Lane everyday on my daily commute and have come to hate it.  I was hit and run crossing Parmer about 6 years ago.  Just last week I had another near-death experience. It was noon on a clear and sunny day.  I had turned right onto Parmer from Tomanet and crossed over to the left lane in order to make a left turn into the HEB that is just east of Mopac.   There were NO cars in sight going in my direction.  I was wearing a neon yellow reflective vest, as I always do now.

Some idiot pulled out from the Fedex strip center driveway, crossed all of the lanes of traffic without looking, and nearly side swiped me.  I was able to slow to avoid him, but was close enough to punch the side of his car (which I did).   He was apologetic, and I told him to pay better attention.

Every afternoon when I make it past Parmer Lane on my commute home I am grateful to be alive.   I am glad to hear you are still riding!

Last edited by RedFalcon (2014-10-29 14:37:35)

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

Thanks for the update!  Way to get back on that pony.  You're certainly the glass-half-full types.

Jack

Member

Registered: 2013-03-27

Posts: 344

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

Kudos.

Tomanet and Parmer Light

Newbie

Registered: 2017-05-12

Posts: 1

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

Hello All.  Thanks for creating and allowing me to participate in this forum.   I came across this thread because I was researching traffic accidents at the intersection of Parmer and Tomanet.   I am a resident on Tomanet and it's unbelievably scary and dangerous.   Everyday there is accidents at this intersection. 

Recently I came across the above post by Red Falcon.   I know it is a few years old but I was wondering if there was anyway to reach out to Red Falcon or any other member for another voice to contact the Transportation department to install a light at this intersection.   http://transportation.austintexas.io/signal-requests/

Please feel free to contact me directly at info (@) northpolexmastrees. (com)...   

Thank you
Illan David Kessler

RedFalcon

Member

Registered: 2013-10-10

Posts: 233

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

Yeah, I still hate that intersection.  I wish they would just block it off, but I think they need to keep it open for emergency vehicles.  Tomanet/ Parmer intersection may be too close to the Parmer / Parmer Crossing intersection to install another light.  I think the place to start may also be Leslie Pool's office.  Her transpo aid is a car free guy.  I met him at a meet and greet a few months ago and he is 110% on our side on these things, and he obviously has the ear of his boss.   He helped me get that yield sign situation at Parmer/Mopac fixed last year. 

I'll contact you directly later on and we can see what we can do.  (You must live farther south on Tomanet than me. )

RedFalcon

Member

Registered: 2013-10-10

Posts: 233

Re: "Two cyclists injured on Parmer Lane"

Does anyone know of an example of a place where a shoulder along a road like Parmer is somehow blocked before it meets a cross street?  In other words, someplace where there is a shoulder, but with some kind of barrier that prevents people from driving cars along a shoulder and into an intersection to get around traffic.