Bicycle Austin forum

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,484

Website

APD wouldn't give crash report to injured cyclist (7-31-14)

Just getting around to posting this.  In September, the Austin Chronicle reported about a case in which a cyclist crashed into a man who ran into the street, breaking her clavicle.  Her efforts to get reimbursed for medical expenses were stymied by the police refusing to give her a crash report (naming the man who ran into the street) for months.  Only when the TV news started investigating did the police suddenly and finally give her a report, but even then it was thin and had no details about culpability.

After all this, in the comments section, a reader says that the reason cyclists get poor treatment from the police is because cyclists "are a nuisance, and a menace, and arrogant as hell to boot."

http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/201 … t-a-crash/

Donald Lewis

Member

Registered: 2009-07-11

Posts: 184

Re: APD wouldn't give crash report to injured cyclist (7-31-14)

Just getting around to posting this.  In September, the Austin Chronicle reported about a case in which a cyclist crashed into a man who ran into the street, breaking her clavicle.  Her efforts to get reimbursed for medical expenses were stymied by the police refusing to give her a crash report (naming the man who ran into the street) for months.  Only when the TV news started investigating did the police suddenly and finally give her a report, but even then it was thin and had no details about culpability.

After all this, in the comments section, a reader says that the reason cyclists get poor treatment from the police is because cyclists "are a nuisance, and a menace, and arrogant as hell to boot."

http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/201 … t-a-crash/

Time for the law firm of Dewey, Cheatham and Howe.

Don in Austin

mikemelanson

Member

Registered: 2014-07-07

Posts: 2

Re: APD wouldn't give crash report to injured cyclist (7-31-14)

In case y'all hadn't seen yet, APD seems to have done something about this, starting today: http://austinonabike.com/apd-fills-a-lo … -cyclists/

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,484

Website

Re: APD wouldn't give crash report to injured cyclist (7-31-14)

Thanks for the info, mike melanson!

To save folks a trip to that link, APD adopted a new policy which says in part:

Crashes involving bicyclists will be will be investigated and reported as defined in Section 346.3 Crash Investigation.  Non-crash events involving a bicyclist will be documented in a Versadex report using title code 4311 under the following circumstances:

The incident occurred on a public place
At least one of the involved subjects sustained bodily injury; and
The incident  occurred  as  a  result  of  a  potential  criminal  act,  violation  of  theTransportation Code, violation of a City Ordinance, or the actions of another party.

Jack

Member

Registered: 2013-03-27

Posts: 345

Re: APD wouldn't give crash report to injured cyclist (7-31-14)

KUT radio this a.m. had a story on the crash and report issue.  Likely easy to find online.