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This post over on reddit's /r/Austin catches a hit and run over near the Long Center, complete with video -- and it kinda looks intentional rather than merely negligent.
On the bright side, the victim seems to be mostly OK, and the police appear to have taken it seriously, so that's good to see.
The comments are pretty much what we've come to expect from such things.
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More details ...
On Facebook, Social Cycling Austin. here --
Hi,
I’m the cyclist that was hit by the white car on riverside drive. If anyone has any information about the vehicle or any cameras in the area that would be really helpful. I’m fortunate to have gotten away with relatively minor injuries but it was just luck. I’m covered in road rash, I can only walk with crutches at the moment.
I thought I was safe in doing a loop around the convention center as I was doing distance training for the cap tex tri and COTA bike night had been canceled for the week. My bike is totaled and my body is in no condition to train, effectively ending my 2022 cap tex tri goal.
There was nothing accidental about that excuse of a man’s actions. That scumbag hit me intentionally after harassing me for half a mile and yelling obscenities at me. He slowed and waited until I passed him, yelled at me, and I waved my hand for him to pass me. He accelerated across the lane into me. His road rage took precedence over my life.
I had blinking headlights and tail lights. I had reflectors on my bike. I had a bright blue frame. I was in a well lit and low speed area. I was as close to the curb that I could reasonably be. This wasn’t an accident, this was attempted manslaughter.
If we can get the plates for this guy, I will do everything in my power to get criminal charges to stick against him.
Please wear your helmet as I believe mine was the main reason I’m still alive.
Thank you for your time,
Nic
And a news story on KXAN, which I suspect gives us the best chance of finding that car and hopefully have some way to identify the driver ...
And all of this was greased by the video taken by Scott. Without that, sure, the police would respond, but they'd have much less of a chance to actually catch the guy, the news would be less interested, etc.
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This is exactly why I don't even ride around the block without both front and rear videos cameras on my bike. Yeah, they are expensive, but I got them when I was commuting and running errands every day. They would have been able to capture the plate (if there was a plate) on that car. Of course, the driver would still get away with it since no one saw his face to connect him with the crime.
That was how it played out when I was hit and run on. The cops found the guy and wanted to charge him, but the DA would not let them.
Oh, and the KXAN headline was: "Austin cyclist OK after being hit by car that sped off" So, if I go outside and started firing my gun randomly up and down the street and I kill someone, for consistency, the headline should be "Austin resident dead after being hit by 9mm hollow point" No mention of the person firing the gun.
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Yeah, I probably understated how important the video is here.
I mean, sure, it doesn't capture a plate or the driver's face -- two things that would be really nice -- but it
* shows that the cyclist was doing everything right
* shows that the car swerved to hit the cyclist
* shows the dog walker trying to catch the car (seriously, a hero!)
* makes it so that we can determine exactly what kind of car it is and where it probably has damage
* makes the incident "interesting" so the news actually runs stories about it
I would argue that putting a dashcam in your car (if you've got one of those things) is a no-brainer (unless you're an utterly horrible driver) -- they're cheap and require little maintenance once installed. Using cameras on your bike is more work and costs more to do it right, but ... it can really pay off.
Regarding the article itself, yeah, it's got some of the usual problems, but not all of them ...
"cyclist hit by car" ... not a more active "angry motorist runs over cyclist". Seriously, this is a bad driver problem, not a bad car problem.
And then there's this bit of weirdness --
According to Texas bicycle laws, all bicyclists must ride alongside streets and roadways, as opposed to sidewalks, when a designated bike line is unavailable.
... um, what?
KVUE has an article now too. and Fox as well.
That said, I'm pleased that there was no mention of the rider wearing or not wearing a helmet, and no mention of their clothing in any of the stories.
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