Bicycle Austin forum

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,485

Website

Bicyclist Paul Wuersig killed @ Denson/Guadalupe 10/25

Few details in the article, except that the driver remained on the scene and was not impaired.  I'm certain that someone ran the red light, don't know if it was the cyclist or the driver, but I'm betting on the driver, since cyclists generally try to avoid getting killed.

I used to live in that neighborhood and I've biked through that intersection hundreds of times.  Mike Librik, who owned Easy Street Recumbents, lived on Denson I think less than a block from that intersection.

Wuersig was active in Bikes Across Borders and the Yellow Bike Project.  Because it's a small world, I'm one degree of separation away from the bicyclist.  I'm friends with another bicyclist who knew him.

City of Austin news release

dougmc

Administrator

Registered: 2008-06-01

Posts: 640

Re: Bicyclist Paul Wuersig killed @ Denson/Guadalupe 10/25

Paul was well known in the Austin cycling community.

This post on his Facebook hits especially hard :

Dear Paul Wuersig, you're the fourth friend of mine to die from riding a bike. I'm not sure where you died, but if it is in Texas, then you're the third friend of mine to be killled riding a bike in Texas.

I walk everywhere largely because of that.

The head of FreshNode IRC network was hit and run while riding a bike at 11:30 PM in Houston, Texas, on 12 September 2006. I was his friend, and I was the last person he spoke with. He literally stayed at the office to help me, and was killed by a drunk driver while cycling home.

I have never ridden a bicycle since.

I don't think anyone should. it jsut seems so risky. After fentanyl overdoses, cars hitting bicycles have killed more people in my life than anything else.

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,485

Website

Re: Bicyclist Paul Wuersig killed @ Denson/Guadalupe 10/25

KXAN article

Details in the article are typically sparse.  It does note that the driver didn't flee and was not impaired.  Historically this means the driver will face no charges even if the driver was at fault, because charges often aren't filed even IF the crash was hit-and-run and/or driver was drunk.

I have heard, but cannot verify, that the cause of the crash was a Left Cross.

The crash happened at night, when a disproportionate number of bike crashes happen.  I don’t ride at night any more.  When I did, I was well-lit.